Tom Brady’s Impact on Raiders Gameplan | Jeanty’s Workload Strategy Explained

Inside Tom Brady’s role in the Raiders’ gameplan — and why Ashton Jeanty’s usage is all about load management.

Author

Jesse Merrick
September 19, 2025

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It’s the NFL season, you can’t ride that roller coaster because you could literally see the tale of two tapes just off of week one compared to this week. Last week, it was, we’re going to the Super Bowl; this week, everybody is the worst player on the planet. So, you know how that goes, you know what I mean? So take everything with a grain of salt, whether it’s good or bad, and you just show up every day and get better.”

— Maxx Crosby, Raiders Defensive End

Photo Courtesy: Arnie Bazemore

In today’s newsletter, we’re breaking down Tom Brady’s true impact on the Raiders’ gameplan — and why his fingerprints may not be as visible as you’d think. We’ll also dive into Ashton Jeanty’s limited touches and explain why his early usage is less about concern and more about the long-term strategy for the Raiders’ offense.

BRADY HELPING GAME PLAN?

Tom Brady set the world on fire on Monday night when he was seen in the coaches' booth with a headset on. Soon after that, reports came out that Tom has been helping the Raiders' game plan for their opponents while he also meets with teams around the league to call games on Fox.

Chip Kelly said that’s not exactly how their conversations go.

Brady is the GOAT, and he’s forgotten more ball than many will ever learn. Why would you not lean on him in some fashion?

RAIDERS VS. COMMANDERS PREVIEW

Before the Raiders square off with Washington, make sure you check out the latest episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast. I caught up with longtime Commanders beat writer Ben Standig (Last Man Standig) for a deep dive into the matchup — from where the Raiders might hold the upper hand, to whether Jayden Daniels will be under center, to if this could finally be the week the run game comes alive. Hit play above for the full breakdown.

ARE WE OVERREACTING TO JEANTY’S USAGE?

Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty wants the rock, but don’t get it twisted - he’s not calling out the coaching staff; he just wants to help the team win.

“I don’t think you draft a guy like me to not give me carries and touches. I’m ready for the responsibility, and you know, like I said, it’s gonna start with me in the run game and I gotta continue to get better.”

— Ashton Jeanty, Raiders Running Back

He acknowledged he needs to do more, but he feels like he’s ready to shoulder more of the load. Again, that’s not calling out the staff; that’s just a guy who wants to do more for his team. Having said that, it seems the staff’s usage of Jeanty is pretty in line with what we’ve seen from running backs who were drafted high.

Here’s a look at the usage of running backs drafted in the top 10 since 2015, and their usage in their first two games as a pro:

2025 Ashton Jeanty - 30 carries through 1st two games

2023 Bijan Robinson - 29 carries through 1st two games

2018 Saquon Barkley - 29 carries through 1st two games

2017 Leonard Fournette - 40 carries through 1st two games

2017 Christian McCaffrey - 21 carries through 1st two games

2016 Ezekiel Elliot - 41 carries through 1st two games

2015 Todd Gurley - 25 carries through 1st two games

I’ll be honest, before I put this list together, I expected Jeanty to be way behind many of these guys. As it turns out, he’s gotten the third most usage of any running back drafted in the top 10 since 2015. So, maybe we’re all overreacting to his early usage? Maybe the staff knows what they’re doing? Maybe they’re bringing him along just as they should? I don’t know, it just feels like there were carries to be had in the first two games of the year, and I think Jeanty should have been given more opportunities.

Chip Kelly feels otherwise, and even likened the way they’re utilizing Ashton to the “load management” we’ve seen in basketball.

“You’re thinking short term because you’re playing games, but you’re also thinking long term. You have three running backs up on gameday, so you’ve got to be able to distribute that. As a staff, Ashton played 54 snaps the week before, and that was a little heavy…You would love for Brock Bowers to play every play, you would love for Ashton Jeanty to play every play, but if you play Brock and Ashton, or any of those guys every play in every game, by the time you get to game eight, you’re not gonna have guys left…in basketball it’s called load management. We’re not sitting out games here but I think you have to be concious of, over the course of 17 games, if some guy’s carrying the ball 30 times a game, they only have so many carries in a season in them…if you’re using them early, it’s going to hurt you late so there has to be balance.”

— Chip Kelly, Raiders Offensive Coordinator

It’s a long season, especially for a rookie, so it’s clear that Chip and the Raiders staff want to make sure their young back is fresh as the season wears on. We’ve also seen how bad the offensive line play has been to start the season. The Raiders are averaging -.23 yards before contact per RB carry, which is dead last in the league. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to withhold some carries for Ashton while the guys up front get their game together?

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

Raiders vs Chargers Fallout | Geno’s Struggles, Jeanty’s Usage & What’s Next


— Inside Raiders-Chargers fallout: Geno’s struggles, Jeanty’s usage concerns, and full postgame analysis heading into week three


Raiders vs Chargers Preview | Brock Bowers Injury Update & Top Plays for MNF


— Brock Bowers’ knee, Raiders-Chargers matchups, and our top plays for the home opener at Allegiant Stadium.

RAIDERS ROUNDERS

THE BEST BETS OF THE WEEK FOR THE RAIDERS VS. COMMANDERS GAME

Photo Courtesy: Arnie Bazemore

We’ve rolled out something new for Raider Nation this season: Raiders Rounders. Each week, I team up with betting analyst Matt Perrault (The Bostonian vs The Book, The Daily Juice) to spotlight the best Raiders bets of the week and a few smart plays from around the NFL. Think of it as the perfect mix of insider football talk and betting insight, giving you a sharper look at how Vegas views the Silver & Black — from player props to game lines — and where the edges might be heading into Sunday.

With that in mind, here are our best plays for the Raiders’ Week 3 matchup against the Commanders:

  • Commanders -3 (Matt says jump on this quick. If Jayden Daniels is cleared, that number will jump to -4.5 or 5)

  • This is a weird game, so Matt’s only officially taking the Commanders to cover, but if you’re feeling lucky, he says he’d take the under on this one, too (45.5)

Matt went one-for-three last week, cashing in on Herbert going over 1.5 TD passes, but he missed on the Raiders at +3.5 and Jeanty anytime TD.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Raiders Rounders is all about sharing our perspective on the game. These aren’t betting recommendations — any wagers you place are 100% your responsibility. Bet responsibly.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

Photo Courtesy: Arnie Bazemore

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day. This week, we’re featuring this great picture Arnie grabbed of Jakobi during the Monday Night Football game against the Chargers. Jakobi finished the night as the team’s leading receiver, with six catches, for 68 yards. Check out Arnie’s work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’ll be back out at Raiders HQ today for the team’s final practice before they hit the road for DC, so stay tuned for our coverage from the facility before we dive into the weekend.

Then we hit the road for Washington! We’ll be on the road for this weekend’s matchup with the Commanders, so make sure you subscribe to the Silver & Black Sports Network on YouTube so you don’t miss our postgame podcast from the field out there at Northwest Stadium following Sunday’s game.

Catch ya next time,

Silver & Black Sports Network is an independent media outlet. We are not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by the Las Vegas Raiders or the NFL.

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