Seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt became a cult-like figure among Commanders fans and fantasy football players after an impressive offseason.
He rewarded the faithful on Sunday, rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown in Washington’s season-opening 21-6 win against the New York Giants.
Though Croskey-Merritt sent the Commanders’ sold-out home crowd happy, he almost left disappointed.
Washington’s leading rusher initially left his first NFL touchdown ball in the end zone after scoring. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin had to collect the souvenir while quarterback Jayden Daniels pumped up the crowd, which was already chanting for the rookie known as “Bill.”
It was a rookie mistake, one Croskey-Merritt first committed during the preseason.
“I forgot the ball again. I told myself, ’When I score, I’m going to make sure I keep my football,’” he said. “I think the excitement just took over and I ended up dropping it. Terry ended up finding it and just giving it to me.”
Croskey-Merritt’s teammates — including second-year players like Daniels and cornerback Mike Sainristil — are helping the new rushing threat find his footing.
“Bill’s just got to remember: Don’t lose your focus on your first touchdown,” Sainristil said. “I’m so proud of him. Just the mindset that he’s come in with and the way he goes about his business in the facility, he doesn’t act like a rookie.”
The rookie is still a work in progress, as is his celebration. On Sunday, it looked like he was shooting dice near his ear after scoring. Or perhaps shaking a small maraca. He couldn’t clarify what exactly he was miming.
“I’m still trying to figure out the celly situation because in college, I really didn’t celebrate. But my friends were like, ‘Man, you need to do something in the end zone,’” Croskey-Merritt said. “I’m thinking that’s going to be my signature move. I don’t know yet; I might have to switch it up. I’m still searching.”
It was a generally messy day for the Commanders, though — celebrations included. Coach Dan Quinn’s unit committed 12 penalties for 89 yards, including offsides infractions, holding calls and an intentional grounding by Daniels that squandered a scoring opportunity at the end of the first half.
“We were sloppy, but it’s always better to come out with a win than a loss,” Daniels said. “So, we’ll learn from that.”
Despite the penalty woes, Washington’s defense shined. The overhauled group did not allow a touchdown and held New York to just 3.7 yards per play.
Giants quarterback Russell Wilson completed just 17 of 37 passing attempts for 168 yards. He avoided turnovers despite a pair of close calls: a red-zone fumble that he recovered himself and an interception that was wiped out by a roughing the passer call.
“When you’re aggressive like that, you want to contain it,” defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. said of the penalties. “But at the same time, just learn how to play within the rules. That’s about it.”
After existing as a liability for much of last season, the Commanders’ defense controlled the opening game. A first-half goal-line stand saw Washington hold New York out of the end zone for seven consecutive plays. The Giants settled for a field goal.
The stout defensive front dominated, holding the Giants’ running backs to 30 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Sunday’s opener marked the first time that the Commanders held an opponent without a touchdown since 2020 — when the franchise was playing its first season as the “Washington Football Team.”
“Anytime you hold a team to six points is really dope,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “It’s the NFL; it’s hard to stop teams.”
Daniels, Croskey-Merritt and the rest of the offense did enough to secure the victory. The ever-efficient Daniels threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, completing 19 of his 30 pass attempts. The second-year star added 68 yards as a runner.
But several Commanders receivers dropped passes, including the typically sure-handed tight end Zach Ertz and rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane. Daniels said the end-of-half grounding penalty, which led to time expiring while the Commanders were in field-goal range, was the result of miscommunication.
“There’s always first-game jitters or whatever. You’re not going to be at your peak form Week 1, and you don’t want to be,” said Daniels, who saw a handful of well-thrown balls dropped by his receivers. “There’s little stuff that we’ve got to clean up and be more attentive on.”
His connection to the newly acquired Deebo Samuel won’t need much refining. The former San Francisco 49er caught seven passes for 77 yards, both team highs, and ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown that sealed the win.
“I didn’t know what it was going to look like, just getting here,” Samuel said. “But as the flow kept going throughout [organized team activities] and camp, how we always connected, we just started to build chemistry. We just showed it today.”
The Commanders won’t have much time to clean up their issues. They head to Green Bay next for a Thursday night showdown with the Packers.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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