Ashton Jeanty was undeniably the star of his NFL debut, turning heads with his impressive performance and tenacity on the field. Jeanty played as physical as possible against the San Francisco 49ers, scoring seven attempts for 33 yards. He put on a passing clinic, finding five different receivers including a remarkable 28-yard strike to All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers. Chief among them were the performances of his Buccaneers, performances that showcased his offensive versatility and made him a bona fide figure of fear on the national stage.
After being pulled for that series, Jeanty reentered the contest at the start of the Raiders’ second possession, looking to leave his stamp. He plowed into the end zone from the 1-yard line. With that move, he was quickly all alone to show off his talent and celebrate his first NFL touchdown. He bulldozed tacklers as he galloped down the field. He was not to be denied, as he bounced off safety Marques Sigle and fought for that first down.
The young running back showed grit all afternoon, absorbing plenty of punishment while inflicting his fair share. A highlight of that game came when he squared up on linebacker Luke Gifford, who put a vicious lick on him. Jeanty, though, stayed standing, declaring himself the winner of that exchange.
“He hit me pretty hard, but I didn’t go down, so I’ll say I won that one.” – Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty proved himself a phenomenal player on the field. With one bonkers tackle-breaking run, he lowered his shoulder, went right at or through San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and simply swatted him to the ground with his left hand. This play was an example of Jeanty’s desire to make his presence known in the league.
“I’ve arrived, and it’s time to keep going and make plays for this team.” – Ashton Jeanty
Geno Smith on Jeanty’s special talent, “He’s going to be a special player. This sarcastic comment is telling, as it’s a clear indication of how much confidence Smith and the coaching staff have in Jeanty’s skills moving forward.
Each time Jeanty touched the ball, her creativity and incisiveness were key in generating offensive flow and movement. He added an impressive 13-yard touchdown run that only further established their increasing faith in him as a promising cog in the offense. As he navigated through defenders and adapted to the pace of the NFL, it became clear that Jeanty possesses the skill set necessary for success at this level.
Veteran head coach Pete Carroll must have appreciated the young team’s progress that Jeanty was the one stealing the show. “Meredith has really taken that thing over and done a fine job with it,” he remarked, referring to the team’s overall strategy and execution.
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