Commanders Got 7.5 Yards Per Carry From Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Then His Carries Stopped

Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt was Washington's most productive running back against the Giants, but the Commanders' late-game decisions left plenty of questions about how they used him.

Oct 11, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22) runs the ball past New York Giants defensive tackle C.J. Okoye (99) during the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt led all Commanders running backs with 82 yards on 11 carries in Washington's 27-27 tie with the New York Giants on Sunday. That doesn't sound odd, but the snap count makes it seem off. Despite the 7.5 yards per carry, Bill didn't see the ball over the final 14:20 of regulation or during overtime.

Running back	Carries	Rushing Yards	Average
Bill	11	82	7.5
White	7	18	2.6
Ekeler	3	-1	-0.3

The interesting part about the running back usage in this game is that Bill led the team with 82 rushing yards despite playing 15 fewer offensive snaps than Rachaad White, the team's alleged third-down back. Now, I already know what you're thinking about White and his receiving ability, but he had one catch for two yards, while Austin Ekeler also had one catch for 15 yards.

Rachaad White	Bill	Austin Ekeler
37	22	6
60% of snaps	35% of snaps	10% of snaps

Jacory Croskey-Merritt breaks free for a 33-yard TD run!

📺: FOX/FOX One pic.twitter.com/9wfDhRQB9V

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 11, 2026

Washington's Fourth-Quarter Rotation Raises Questions

The Commanders were driving late in the third quarter (:39) when Bill took off for a 22-yard run. The problem is, his next carry, a one-yard gain at the 14:20 mark in the fourth, would be his last. Washington would go up 27-13 with 11:05 remaining.

After Bill's final carry, the running back usage shifted, and the process favored White. From that point on, White got all five remaining running back carries and finished with seven rushes for 18 yards, making the move a highly questionable head-scratcher. Those opportunities included early-down situations, not the obvious passing downs White normally plays. After New York cut the lead to 27-20, White took the first-down carry at Washington's 37 with 7:15 remaining, gaining one yard; after that, the second-down play gave them one more yard, Daniels was sacked on third down, and then Washington punted.

So basically, with a seven-point lead, the team moved away from what had been working and tried to get White going, but not in a way that highlighted his abilities that outshine Bill in the passing game, making this running back usage confusing. A guy averaging 7.5 yards per carry shouldn't be put on the shelf after breaking off a 22-yard run.

Quarter	Time	Down & Distance	Ballcarrier	Result
4th	12:34	1st-and-10	White	5 yards
4th	11:59	2nd-and-5	White	3 yards
4th	7:15	1st-and-10	White	1 yard
OT	7:20	1st-and-10	White	3 yards
OT	0:55	1st-and-10	White	2 yards

Then came overtime; White took a first-and-10 handoff at the 7:20 mark, gaining three yards on a possession that ended in a punt. After the Cam Skattebo fumble, Washington drove into scoring territory, and White took his last carry at the 55-second mark, gaining two yards. That was the moment the team should have spiked it and sent the kicking team out. Of course, as the entire sporting world knows, that didn't happen.

Now, Dan Quinn has talked about whether they even need one featured running back, instead of using different players depending on what the offense needs. I get the thinking, especially since White brings more experience in pass protection and the receiving game, two areas where Bill is still developing. The problem with that explanation is that Washington wasn't asking White to protect Daniels or catch passes on those late carries. They were handing him the ball, mostly on first down, while the guy averaging 7.5 yards per carry wasn't getting another opportunity.

Maybe David Blough saw something in the Giants' defense that he liked with White on the field, or maybe something went down with Croskey-Merritt that we don't know about. Both are possible, but until someone from the coaching staff explains the decision, we're left guessing why Washington went away from its most productive running back.

I'm not suggesting Bill needs 25 carries every week, and White and Austin Ekeler certainly have a place in Washington's offense. What I have a hard time understanding is how a running back can be having that much success, get into a situation where a couple of first downs could make all the difference, and then never touch the ball again. Would giving Bill another carry have changed the outcome? Maybe not, but I'd certainly rather find out than watch him standing on the sideline. With San Francisco coming up, it'll be interesting to see whether Blough continues using the same rotation or starts giving more opportunities to the guy who's actually producing.

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