Through the first two games of the season, Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt had 14 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. In the season opener against the Giants, Croskey-Merritt rushed for 82 yards on 10 carries. However, in Week 2, the rookie carried the ball only four times for 17 yards.
Fans wanted to see more of Bill. Fantasy owners were frustrated. When would Croskey-Merritt take on a bigger role? Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury had a simple answer: Croskey-Merritt must show progress “in playing without the ball.”
What Kingsbury meant was things such as pass protection. Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. were stronger in that area, which is to be expected when you compare a veteran running back to a rookie back.
Kingsbury continuously praised Croskey-Merritt’s potential, “but as a young player, there are a lot of things you haven’t seen, whether it’s pass-pro, leading for someone else, running the proper routes, route technique, things of that nature. So, he’s got to just keep coming.”
In Washington’s Week 3 and 4 games, Bill carried the ball eight and seven times, respectively. In Sunday’s impressive 27-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Croskey-Merritt finally had his breakout game, carrying the ball 14 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns — all career-highs. He also averaged 7.9 yards per rushing attempt and leads the NFL, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt through five weeks.
There was a moment in Sunday’s game that really stood out between Kingsbury and Croskey-Merritt.
Early in the fourth quarter, Croskey-Merritt fumbled, giving the Chargers good field position at the L.A. 43-yard line with the Commanders holding on to a 20-10 lead. The play gave Justin Herbert and the Chargers new life. As Los Angeles moved the ball down the field, Washington defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton saved the day, tipping the Herbert pass, allowing it to fall into the waiting arms of cornerback Mike Sainristil—threat over.
So, how did Kingsbury respond to Bill’s fumble?
With the Commanders taking over at their own 1-yard line, Croskey-Merritt was on the field. After Jayden Daniels completed a nine-yard pass on first down, Kingsbury called Croskey-Merritt’s number on the next play. That carry went for 10 yards and a first down. Kingsbury goes back to Bill on the next play, and he picks up nine more yards. Later in the drive, Croskey-Merritt picks up 15 on another run.
Washington ended up scoring when Daniels found Deebo Samuel for a touchdown with just over one minute remaining to make it 27-10. Ballgame.
In the process, we saw Kingsbury show trust in his rookie running back. A challenging road game with plenty of time remaining, and Kingsbury still chose to trust his young back after his first NFL fumble. And Croskey-Merritt rewarded that trust.
If Bill can stay healthy, he could have a special season. Two of the NFL’s worst run defenses (Chicago and Dallas) are next up on Washington’s schedule. That moment of trust in Sunday’s game tells you how Washington’s coaches view the rookie running back.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Kliff Kingsbury trusted Jacory Croskey-Merritt
