When Washington selected Antonio Gibson in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft, many envisioned a dual-threat role for the former college wide receiver.
After seeing Gibson in the offseason program and early in training camp, Washington coaches envisioned Gibson in a much different role. With Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice already on Washington’s roster, Gibson was initially viewed as a player who could line up in the slot, split wide, or in the backfield.
However, Washington cut both Peterson and Guice that summer for very different reasons, making Gibson Washington’s No. 1 running back. Washington had already added J.D. McKissic in free agency and didn’t want to take snaps away from Gibson by keeping Peterson around. Coaches also worried a diminished role would upset Peterson and allowed him to seek other opportunities.
Gibson responded as a rookie, rushing for 795 on 4.7 yards per attempt in 14 games. He also scored 11 touchdowns.
Heading into his second year, Gibson wanted to create more explosive plays. In a Week 3 loss at Buffalo, Gibson took a screen pass 73 yards to the house, showing his explosiveness.
Next Gen Stats recently ranked the top 10 most explosive runners from the 2021 NFL season. Here is the criteria:
- A minimum of 100 carries in 2021.
- At least 20 carries of 10-plus yards.
- The defining metrics: the total number and percentage of 15-plus mph runs.
The list includes running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks. Gibson came in at No. 9 on the list, one spot ahead of Alvin Kamara.
10+ yard runs: 24
10+ pct: 9.3%
15+ mph runs: 38
15+ mph pct: 14.7%
Commanders coach Ron Rivera waxed poetic last month about the benefits of a committee backfield entering 2022, but in 2021, Gibson received the vast majority of carries, finishing with 258 for 1,037 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. He served as the bell cow for Washington, helping keep the offense on schedule. He posted a 44.6 percent success rate on runs (percentage of carries resulting in positive expected points added), second only to Jonathan Taylor among running backs on this list.
He operated largely out of the shotgun, gaining the sixth-most rushing yards against light boxes (six or fewer defenders in the box) among running backs. Also, Gibson figured into Washington’s passing game prominently, with the second-most targets (16) on screen passes among RBs, catching 15 of them (second-most) and gaining the third-most yards (121).
Washington’s offensive struggles certainly didn’t help Gibson’s overall production, but the explosiveness was still visible in his 38 15-plus mph runs and 24 10-plus-yard runs. Perhaps he’ll benefit from the Commanders having more options in 2022.
Washington’s offense should be better in 2022. Carson Wentz represents an upgrade at quarterback, and his presence alone should give the Commanders a deep passing game. Rookie Brian Robinson Jr. gives Washington a power alternative to Gibson’s diverse skill set.
Offensive coordinator Scott Turner should do everything possible to create opportunities for Gibson in space next season to allow him to use his speed and explosiveness.