Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt showed up to Commanders practice this week rocking the “Super Bowl Era” helmet — the old-school burgundy and gold design that still hits a nerve with fans who remember when the franchise meant January football.
It was a clean look. A nostalgic one. And maybe, unintentionally, the perfect symbol for where this team stands: searching for an identity worth revisiting.
Because right now, Washington’s run game — the supposed anchor of its offense — feels about as distant as those glory days.
The Commanders’ Urgency Is Now
The Commanders have spent the past month trying to convince everyone their offense still runs through physicality. The numbers disagree.
Croskey-Merritt has just 82 carries for 402 yards and four touchdowns, good for 4.9 yards per attempt. Those stats look serviceable at a glance, but not what was expected after Washington essentially handed the backfield keys to the young playmaker.
The rookie runs hard, but the Commanders’ offensive line is patchwork, and the rhythm of this offense completely out of sync with recurring absences from Jayden Daniels.
The team’s QB1 provided a spark before his hamstring injury, but Washington’s run structure has been inconsistent. When Marcus Mariota took over Monday night against Kansas City, the Commanders managed 25 rushing yards from Croskey-Merritt. The Chiefs didn’t even have to load the box.
Seattle Seahawks‘ defense won’t be as forgiving.
Seattle Brings the League’s Best Rush Defense
The Seahawks rank No. 1 in the NFL against the run, allowing just 2.5 yards per carry on designed runs since Week 5. They’ve got the right mix of quickness up front and linebacker range to close lanes before they ever open.
If Croskey-Merritt is going to get anything done Sunday night, he’ll need early-down blocking and a creative game plan from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury something that’s been hit-and-miss all year.
Kingsbury’s play-calling has too often leaned on horizontal passing to compensate for a struggling offensive line. The problem is, it’s taken away the downhill identity the Commanders have been trying to build around its rookie back.
Seattle knows what’s coming. They’ll force a less-than-100% Daniels to beat them through the air.
And unless the Commanders rediscover balance, it could be another long prime-time night for an offense ranked just 17th in scoring and 24th in passing.
Maybe that’s what makes Croskey-Merritt’s helmet choice so striking. It’s a callback to a time when Washington football was synonymous with trench dominance.
Croskey-Merritt’s old helmet might be the best visual metaphor yet: a throwback to when the Commanders didn’t have to chase balance — they enforced it.
Seattle comes in 5-2, rested, confident, and built to control tempo. Washington is 3-5, trying to hang on in an NFC where .500 keeps you relevant.
If there’s a week to reestablish identity, this is it. Forget the nostalgia, the throwback lids, or the aesthetic symmetry of old colors and old glory. Washington needs to make that helmet mean something again.
Run the ball. Hit back. Control the game. Otherwise, that “Super Bowl Era” logo will keep feeling less like inspiration — and more like irony.
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