Last season, the Washington Commanders may have finished 4th in overall rushing yards in the NFL, but if you take a closer look, their run game was not nearly as impactful as other teams in the league. When using the advanced DVOA statistic, the Commanders ranked 23rd in the NFL.
What is DVOA?
Definition: Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) is a method of evaluating teams, units, or players. It takes every single play during the NFL season and compares each one to a league-average baseline based on situation. DVOA measures not just yardage, but yardage towards a first down: Five yards on third-and-4 are worth more than five yards on first-and-10 and much more than five yards on third-and-12. Performance is also adjusted for the quality of the opponent. DVOA is a percentage, so a team with a DVOA of 10.0% is 10% better than the average team, and a quarterback with a DVOA of -20.0% is 20% worse than the average quarterback. Because DVOA measures scoring, defenses are better when they are negative. Every year is normalized, so the average for that year is 0%.
Where the Ground Game Fell Short
What it comes down to is that the Commanders, while they racked up yardage, did not yield great results with their run game. This meant they likely struggled in 3rd and short situations or faltered in red zone attempts. The bottom line is, the box score may look good, but the runs did not accumulate to scoring drives.
Enter Breece Hall
So how do you fix a situation like this? You sign a guy like Breece Hall. ESPN Analyst Adam Schatz seems to think Hall will be heading to Washington soon.
“The Commanders will make a big splash by signing running back Breece Hall, a talented rusher and receiver who will be just 25 years old next season. Rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt didn’t end up taking the league by storm, and Chris Rodriguez Jr. wasn’t spectacular either. Washington finished 23rd in run offense DVOA this season.”
Why is Breece Hall in Washington a Good Fit?
Hall would be a great fit in Washington because of the skill set contract he had with current Commanders running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt. Hall is the back that you can use for every down. He has excellent speed and moves well laterally, and has even proven himself as a receiver when needed. A truly explosive running back, Hall would be a strong offensive weapon on just about any team. In contrast, Croskey-Merritt is a very physical and downhill type runner and is the kind of guy that you want in short yardage situations. Together, the two would bring some balance to the Commanders’ run game.
Building a Complete Ground Game
Pairing Breece Hall with Croskey-Merritt would give the Commanders not only more balance on offense but more big-play opportunities. With Hall’s explosiveness and ability to be a receiver when needed, it can help in the early down situations. Utilizing Croskey-Merritt as more of a third-down back will save his stamina, and he will likely perform better in those situations as opposed to last year, when he struggled. Regardless of what the Commanders decide to do with the running back position, a serious upgrade is needed if they want to bring their run game to the next level in 2026. Breece Hall in Washington could be the solution.