The Washington Commanders have had about as dreadful a past month as any team could ever imagine.
They’ve lost their last four games by a combined 89 points. Both star quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin returned from injury, only to end up back on the shelf. The defense has been so bad that it’s prompted head coach Dan Quinn to take over Joe Whitt Jr.’s play-calling duties.
Lost in all the dysfunction is that one of Washington’s biggest strengths from earlier in the year has become utterly broken.
How do the Commanders fix Jacory Croskey-Merritt and the run game?
Through the first five weeks of the season, Washington’s backfield was dominating opponents. Even after Brian Robinson Jr. was traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the preseason and Austin Ekeler went down with a torn Achilles in Week 2, it was a three-headed monster of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Jeremy McNichols helping the Commanders place among the league leaders in rushing yards per game.
After using the committee approach for a few weeks, Croskey-Merritt appeared to take the lead back duties in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The seventh-round rookie accounted for 150 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, validating all of the offseason hype that led to him acquiring such a significant role.
At that point in the season, Croskey-Merritt led the NFL in yards per carry among all eligible running backs. The Commanders’ next two games were against atrocious rushing defenses in the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, and he was expected to continue feasting. Instead, he’s been invisible for a month running.
There are likely several factors contributing to the sudden decline. Like any rookie, Croskey-Merritt has run into challenges. Opposing defenses have adjusted their strategies against him. He’s a shifty back who often waits for a hole to open up before bursting through, and they’re not letting him find those seams to exploit.
The scheme has also been an issue. Kliff Kingsbury’s creativity has been lacking, failing to design plays that give Croskey-Merritt space on the edge where he could be more productive. But more than anything, it’s the fact that the Commanders haven’t been in a position to establish the run at all.
Washington has spent the vast majority of its past four games playing from behind, meaning fewer runs and more passes. The running back position is perhaps the most dependent on surrounding structure in football, and getting Croskey-Merritt and the run game right starts with getting the whole team on a sounder footing.
That’s the bottom line of all this.
