The Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) face mounting concerns over their struggling ground game heading into Sunday’s (Oct. 18) showdown against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium, with a rushing attack averaging just 82.0 yards per game, fifth-worst in the National Football League (NFL), putting added pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins and an already vulnerable offence.

In Sunday’s (Oct. 11) 45-17 beatdown in New England, the Raiders ran for just 38 yards, with starting running back Ashton Jeanty laboring for 27 yards on 10 carries.

Without a running game, the Patriots pressured Cousins, who’s 38 and was never considered a mobile quarterback, even in his younger years. ESPN stats show the Patriots blitzed Cousins on 41.2% of his drop-back passes in the first half.

The Bills rank 28 th in defensive blitz rate, at 16.3% (36 blitzes through five games), according to Pro Football Reference, with the league average at 24.5%. Still, watching what the Patriots accomplished Sunday (Oct. 11), they will no doubt plan to pressure Cousins more.

The New York Jets (36.9%, 3 rd  in the NFL) and the Los Angeles Rams (23.0%, 17 th  in the NFL) follow the Bills, so it won’t get any easier if the Raiders can’t find a running game fast.

In Jeanty’s defense, he is banged up, dealing with an ankle sprain and a flare-up of plantar fasciitis, a troublesome challenge for running backs, with repeated acceleration, cutting and changes in direction. So far this season, he has 291 yards on 88 carries, for 3.3 yards per carry, with no touchdowns. Last season, in his rookie year, he rushed for 975 yards on 266 carries (3.7 yards per carry).

“Earlier in the game, I needed to stay with the run,” Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters yesterday (Oct. 12), talking about the Patriots game. “We were playing from behind all day, so it became a passing game. I didn’t need to abandon the running game so fast. I didn’t give it a chance to get going. So that’s on me.

“Ashton is beat up, and it’s a testament to how tough he is that he’s out there playing for his teammates,” he said.