Jacory Croskey-Merritt aimed to make an impact for his team in Week 13, but he saw limited action in the first half against the Denver Broncos. Chris Rodriguez Jr. started the game as the Washington Commanders’ leading running back, and it may have surprised many people.
What Happened to Jacory Croskey-Merritt?
In the first half against the Broncos, Croskey-Merritt had three carries for 19 yards, while Rodriguez had seven carries for 30 yards and a touchdown.
A couple of weeks ago, Rodriguez was named a team captain by Washington. Croskey-Merritt has made some mistakes in the last few weeks, and there have been some signs out there that the rookie is now the clear-cut RB2 behind Rodriguez.
In the Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins, Rodriguez had five carries to start the game, and Croskey-Merritt was not involved in the offense at all. So far this season, Croskey-Merritt leads the team in rushing yards with 498, but Rodriguez is now the starting running back, averaging 4.7 yards per carry compared to the rookie’s 4.5 yards per carry.
According to the PFSN NFL RB Impact metrics, Croskey-Merritt has an RB Impact Score of 74.6 and is ranked 30th among running backs. In comparison, Rodriguez is ranked 29th and has an impact score of 74.7.
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Croskey-Merritt will have to prove that he’s able to overcome his mistakes to get back into Quinn’s good graces. However, Washington’s offense, based on those metrics, needs to pick up the pace.
Washington Commanders’ Insights for Week 13
Team: Washington is 0-3 in November. The Commanders have not had a winless November since 2014 and only six total since 1960.
QB: Marcus Mariota has graded in the weekly top ten in QBi three times in six qualified games. His best was an 81.2 (B-) against the Raiders in Week 3. Mariota’s season rank is 16th out of 40 qualified quarterbacks.
Offense: The Commanaders have averaged 17.0 points per game during their six-game losing streak.
Defense: Washington registered a 76.2 (C) in DEFi against the Dolphins in Week 11. It snapped a streak of two straight games with an F grade.
Fantasy: Since Week 7, Troy Franklin has four games with at least 12.9 fantasy points. Courtland Sutton has one game with over 10.7 fantasy points. Franklin has out-targeted Sutton 45-34 over that timeframe.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.