The Washington Commanders have won two of their last three games, including a massive road win over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, to climb back into the NFC East race.
More help might be on the way soon.
Much has been made of the Commanders' lack of a run game, especially since starter Jacory Croskey-Merritt went on injured reserve with a groin injury. Right now, it's Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler holding it down, and the tandem has been less than optimal.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt must give Commanders what they've been missing as an early-down threat
But now, Croskey-Merritt will have a chance to return after the mini bye week to give the Commanders exactly what they need.
Croskey-Merritt's absence has been felt in the backfield, especially because without him, Washington doesn't have a true run-first back. White and Ekeler are both pass-catching specialists who are best used in third-down situations.
The 2025 seventh-round pick might not be a superstar. Even so, he's Washington's top threat on first and second down to gain needed yardage, with home-run play potential.
Though he is averaging a paltry 3.6 yards per carry this season, his explosiveness is vital to the Commanders' offense.
And against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that's known to give up some points, a return from a fresh-legged Croskey-Merritt on Monday Night Football would be massive.
Commanders need all systems go against the Bengals and beyond, and it starts with the run game
If the Commanders are going to rally to win the division, they'll need an effective run game. It's that simple.
Right now, Washington is good enough to beat teams like the Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles, who make life difficult for themselves. But the Commanders are not good enough to beat a team that gives them all they can handle.
Washington's offensive line is abysmal. The wide receiver room is decimated. The defense is coming along nicely, but still gives up too many chunk plays. And even star quarterback Jayden Daniels has been shaky at times this year.
Some consistency in the offensive backfield, while of course dependent on the offensive line doing its own job, would go a long way.
The Commanders aren't going to be a team that relies on a dominant rushing attack with the personnel they have. The time to address that will be over the offseason. But with Croskey-Merritt back in the fold, the run game can at least not be a detriment.
We'll need to hope that Croskey-Merritt is ready to suit up next week. But we should find out for sure when head coach Dan Quinn speaks to the media in the coming days.
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