It’s been a long time since the Washington Commanders had a running back who could race past defenders and take it to the house from any spot on the field. Earlier this season, Jeremy McNichols had a 60-yard touchdown run against the Las Vegas Raiders. But McNichols is not typically viewed as a home-run back.
On Thursday, rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had the longest play from scrimmage for the Commanders this season, taking a Josh Johnson handoff and racing 72 yards past the Dallas Cowboys for a touchdown. It was his second touchdown of the day.
Croskey-Merritt has had several double-digit runs this season, with his longest before Thursday coming against the New York Giants (42 yards) in Week 1. Against the Cowboys, the rookie runner, also known as Bill, proved he could be a home-run back.
According to Next Gen Stats, Croskey-Merritt was recorded at 21.62 MPH on his touchdown run.
That’s flying. Last week’s fastest recorded time came courtesy of Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore, on his game-winning touchdown catch. Moore was recorded at 21.3 MPH. When Croskey-Merritt was preparing for the 2025 NFL draft, he was recorded at 4.45 seconds for his 40-yard dash.
Bill now has 776 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in a part-time role this season. Not bad for a rookie seventh-round pick.