Washington Set to Lean Heavily on Deebo Samuel Following Ekeler Injury

The Washington Commanders didn't get off so easily last night in their week two matchup against the Green Bay Packers, losing 27-18, meanwhile losing starting running back Austin Ekeler to an achilles tear during the game. With the injury paving the way for preseason star Bill Croskey-Merritt, his inexperience and youth may mean Kliff Kingsbury could be set to give much more rushing reps to dual threat Deebo Samuel Sr.

The Commanders have been one of the more successful teams on both the ground and the air over the last season or so, and with star quarterback Jayden Daniels a competent rushing QB by himself, it is now their running back room which takes a major hit, opening up new opportunities for new players in Washington. Ekeler who was a big part of their win last week over the Giants suffered a season ending achilles tear during the game last night, meaning the Commanders seventh round draft pick, and preseason standout Bill Croskey-Merritt will take the reins as RB1 for the meantime.

Although the depth chart suggests Croskey-Merritt is now the sole starting ball carrier for the Commanders, it is likely that Kliff Kingsbury will activate Deebo Samuel’s impeccable rushing game, and put his running game to the test during this transitional phase in the backfield. Samuel, who is a registered receiver on the depth chart, does have a long history of rushing the ball, being one of the most successful wide receivers on set plays like jet sweeps during his time in San Francisco, and those abilities may now be put to the test in Washington.

During his time in the league, Samuel’s rushing game has only improved as time has gone on. So far this season, Samuel has only been deployed on the ground once for the Commanders, a carry which resulted in a 19 yard gain for a touchdown. In previous years, Samuel has been seen to take in the area of 40-50 carries a season, and has been effective in terms of yards for gain and touchdowns on the ground, being one of the more versatile rushing receivers in the league.

When Samuel came to Washington this offseason, it was obvious that he would be a weapon in which the Commanders could utilise in many different ways, but now with Ekeler out of the picture, Samuel’s experience and rushing reputation compared to Croskey-Merritt could just be on show in the coming weeks. Much more set plays, much more of Samuel in the backfield, and much more third down carries for Samuel could be on the horizon, but if there is ever a time to pull out the wildcard, it is now for Washington.