Jacory Croskey-Merritt's solid day
The Washington Commanders struggled to move the ball through the air. However, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had much better fortune on the ground, firmly entrenching himself as the team's lead option in the backfield.
Croskey-Merritt had been dealing with an injury in the lead-up to this one. The Commanders were confident enough to give him the green light, and he looked good. The added physicality and continued speed made him a force, which bodes well for his chances of putting together another solid campaign in Year 2 of his professional career.
The 2025 seventh-round pick was a steal of epic proportions. And Croskey-Merritt is just getting started.
Sonny Styles is the real deal
The Commanders are expecting big things from first-round linebacker Sonny Styles. He received some extremely harsh criticism during his brief preseason involvement, so all eyes were on the Ohio State product to see how he would fare in a regular-season setting for the first time.
Styles looked like the real deal. He communicated effectively, got around the football, and made some eye-catching plays in the backfield during an encouraging NFL debut.
The No. 7 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft will have gained a significant amount from this showing. And the best part? Styles is merely scratching the surface of what he could truly be capable of.
Commanders' passing attack was anemic
There wasn't much to be excited about where the Commanders' passing attack was concerned in Week 1. New offensive coordinator David Blough was calling his first NFL game against veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and it showed.
Getting pressure with four changed everything. It was difficult for the Commanders' receivers to separate, and everything just looked out of sync. There will always be some growing pains, but there is a lot of hard work ahead.
This will have been a steep learning curve for Blough in the regular-season pressure cooker. But the Commanders won't get very far if the same trend continues.
Commanders have something in Nick Cross
The Commanders did little to strengthen their safety unit this offseason. Adam Peters did make one notable signing, acquiring Nick Cross in free agency. And it didn't take the tone-setting defensive back long to leave his mark when the real action arrived.
Cross was at the heart of everything good for Washington's defense. His explosiveness at the point of contact caught the eye throughout. He held his own in coverage and made his tackles count. If this was a sign of things to come, the Commanders could have one of the offseason's biggest steals on their hands.
Washington's defense was much improved. Cross was a big reason why.
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