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In the absence of second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders dominated the run game in the first half against the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
Despite the Raiders’ heavy reliance on former No. 6 overall draft pick Ashton Jeanty, who had tallied 41 of Las Vegas’ 49 rushing yards at the half, the Commanders controlled the field, logging 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns spanning five players.
The latter of those two touchdowns came right before the end of the first half, powered by the legs of running back Jeremy McNichols. McNichols, an eight-year NFL veteran entering his second year with Washington, broke away from the line of scrimmage to bolt down field for a career-long 60-yard rush.
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During the play, NFL Next Gen Stats stated that McNichols had clocked a top speed of over 20 mph. While the run was a few miles per hour slower than Tyreek Hill’s 23.24 mph run in 2016, the impressive show of speed helped catapult the Commanders to a 17-10 lead going into halftime.
McNichols’ previous career-long rushing record was a 28-yard run set during a game in his first season as a Commander in 2024. Since joining Washington, McNichols has seen a larger workload than any in his career, reflecting a somewhat lacking Commanders running back room.
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McNichols attempted 55 carries last season for 261 yards and four touchdowns, marking a career-high for each of those stats. The running back has stepped on the field with five different teams since beginning his career, only seeing that much utilization while with the Titans in 2020 and 2021.
Coming back from halftime, the Commanders’ run game has continued to thrive, punching in another touchdown along with a score on a punt return to enter the fourth quarter with a strong 24-point lead.
The success at running back during the game aside, Washington will continue to look for long-term answers for its run game, meaning McNichols will likely continue to see increased action this season.
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