The Washington Commanders made their fair share of headlines this weekend, and that was even before meeting the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in their second preseason contest.
Washington was reportedly looking to entertain trade offers for Brian Robinson Jr. This was all but confirmed when the running back did not suit up against Cincinnati. Instantly, one player became a must-watch on Monday night.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
The seventh-round pick out of Arizona has been the star of the Commanders' offseason, quickly emerging as a player who could be a late-round steal. He had a solid outing in Washington's preseason opener against the New England Patriots, accounting for 24 rushing yards on seven carries, but didn't have the home-run play that fans were hoping for.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt showcased exactly what he could bring to Commanders' backfield dynamic
That changed in a hurry versus the Bengals.
Croskey-Merritt didn't touch the ball on Washington's first drive of the night, in which the Commanders marched down the field and scored in four plays on a 14-yard scamper from quarterback Jayden Daniels. On the next drive, he was the featured running back and wasted no time making his presence known.
The rookie's first carry went for five yards. Then, after Josh Johnson found Jaylin Lane to move the chains just outside the red zone, Croskey-Merritt found a hole through defenders and took off for a 27-yard score to give the Commanders a 13-7 lead.
Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt goes by "Bill"
Bill just went 27 yards to the 🏠
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Croskey-Merritt didn't see the field during the second quarter, but strangely was re-inserted to start the third, which he played most of. He ended up with a final stat line of 11 carries for 46 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also receiving two passes for no gain. He was less effective during the second half behind Washington's backup offensive linemen, who left him with little room to operate.
Still, what the man known as "Bill" showcased on his touchdown run should open some eyes. His emergence is likely a major reason why the Commanders are willing to move on from Robinson. Now that Croskey-Merritt has officially shown what he's made of, it will only make Adam Peters that much more tempted to pull the trigger.
The Commanders ultimately lost to the Bengals, dropping them to 0-2 during the preseason. But the player who was facing the most pressure passed his test with flying colors.
NFL fans around the country should quickly prepare to learn the name of Croskey-Merritt. And the hype train has officially left the station.
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