Jacory Croskey-Merritt — Week 1: Sixteen Carries, the Fourth and One
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 14
Croskey-Merritt, cleared to play before the game per Zach Selby at Commanders.com, carried sixteen times for sixty-three yards and a one-yard touchdown with one fifty-six left in the half, and converted fourth and one at the Philadelphia thirty-two six snaps before it. He caught his one target for minus seven, fumbled and recovered on the final drive, and led Washington in carries, in a 22–24 loss to the Eagles.
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Fourth and one at the Philadelphia 32, four 41 left in the second quarter, Washington down three to 14. Jacory Croskey-Merritt up the middle for four to the 28. The carry was worth +1.6 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and five points of win probability, the chance of winning after the play against before it, the largest figure on either count among any Washington run all day. Six snaps later he finished the drive: first and goal from the one with one 56 left, left guard, touchdown, and with the extra point blocked, nine to 14 — the point Washington chased with a two-point try at the end. Between the two came nine yards behind the left guard, no gain by Jayden Daniels, two yards and a first down by Rachaad White on third and one, an incompletion, and 16 yards to Antonio Williams to the one.
He had been cleared to play before kickoff, per Zach Selby at Commanders.com, and the line was 16 carries, 63 yards, one touchdown, seven first downs, eight of the 16 successful, +2.3 expected points. The longest was 11, twice: on the first snap of Washington's season, first and 10 at the 36, left tackle to the 47; and first and 10 at the 33 with six 21 left in the half, right tackle to the 44, the start of the touchdown drive. Eight carries for 45 yards before halftime, eight for 18 after; the four in the third quarter went for eight yards, the four in the fourth for 10. His one target went backwards — second and 20 at the Washington 17 with 10 15 left in the half, short left, caught seven yards behind the line, −1.3. And on second and two at the Philadelphia 21 with four 13 left, down 16 to 24, he gained two and fumbled; Washington's Conerly recovered at the 18, and the drive went on to a touchdown.
The split: Croskey-Merritt 16, White seven, Daniels five — three of them scrambles — Kaytron Allen four. 16 designed runs before halftime and 13 after, against 16 19 pass plays. White did not carry after halftime; the fourth-quarter carries were Croskey-Merritt four, Allen three, Daniels one. 63 of Washington's hundred 32 rushing yards were his, on half of the 32 carries.
Back in June the preview made no call on Croskey-Merritt — RB41 at pick one 23, a fair price for a 17-game starter whose 805 yards were real and whose points came a third from touchdowns, the least repeatable currency, with nine catches all year — and it said to watch the targets, because anything past a courtesy screen was news. Sunday was 16 carries, a touchdown, and one target that lost seven yards. That is the profile the preview priced, and one game is the smallest sample there is. Washington is at the Cowboys on Sunday the twentieth. The number to watch is still the targets.
_Data via nflverse._
When Jacory Croskey-Merritt's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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