In his second NFL season, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 733 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt. While those weren’t outstanding numbers, it’s important to note that Washington led the NFL in passing attempts while ranking dead last in rushing attempts.
The Commanders could run the ball when they chose to but rarely tried, even when games were close. This irked some Washington players, including guard Sam Cosmi.
This offseason, the Commanders moved on from former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. After hiring Dan Quinn as head coach, he hired former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury as the new offensive coordinator.
Washington wasted no time in adding to the backfield, signing veteran Austin Ekeler on the first day of free agency’s legal tampering period in March. That gave the new-look Commanders a backfield of Robinson, Ekeler and second-year pro Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Kingsbury’s offense plans to feature the run, regardless of what you hear about him as an Air Raid guy. The Commanders reportedly plan to run more 12 personnel in 2024 to support rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Robinson and Ekeler could form one of the NFL’s better duos in 2024 because of their complementary skill sets. Robinson will be the lead back, while Ekeler can operate as the third-down back. While both are good receivers in the passing game, Ekeler has been the NFL’s top pass-catching backs for years. Rodriguez represents the perfect change of pace from both.
How is Washington’s backfield viewed across the NFL?
Apparently, not too well. Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 NFL backfields and placed the Commanders at No. 24.
The Commanders ranked 16th in PFF rushing grade in 2023 before subbing out Antonio Gibson for Austin Ekeler this offseason. Ekeler is coming off the lowest single-season rushing and receiving grades (65.1 and 57.4) of his career, but a change of scenery for him in Washington could lead to a bounce back.
Behind Ekeler, Washington haw Brian Robinson and Chris Rodriguez Jr., both of whom earned rushing grades above 73.0 last season.
Why does PFF think Robinson will be behind Ekeler? And how is Washington’s backfield not ranked somewhere inside the top 20?
Sure, there are some concerns with Ekeler’s age, as he battled a nagging injury last season. But he says he’s healthy and from watching him during the offseason, he surely looks healthy. Robinson is re-energized under the new coaching staff.
The Commanders essentially swapped out Antonio Gibson for Ekeler. Gibson was frustrating at times, but neither of his two offensive coordinators in Washington knew how to use him. Ekeler has accomplished a lot more in his NFL career, but how much does he have left?
If the Commanders’ backfield remains healthy in 2024, they could be one of the more intriguing units in the NFL.