Washington is officially down four players for their Week 6 Monday night showdown against the San Francisco 49ers, and it’s a gut punch for the offense: starting running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is out with a groin injury. This isn’t just a minor ding either; the team is facing one of the NFL’s last three unbeaten teams, and they badly need a win.
Huge Blow To The Offense, And Not Just Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Losing Croskey-Merritt is a massive hit. He was absolutely dealing last week against the Giants, carrying the ball 11 times for 82 yards and punching in a touchdown. That was his best game of the season, but then he got hit with the groin injury in the second half, which totally limited his touches. And the dude hasn’t practiced all week, so it’s no surprise he’s officially out. Who steps up now? It looks like Austin Ekeler and Rachaad White are going to have to carry the load, with Jeremy McNichols possibly getting activated from the PUP list, even though he’s also questionable with a quad issue.
But Croskey-Merritt isn’t the only one sidelined. The Commanders are also without OLB Javontae Jean-Baptiste (pectoral), QB Marcus Mariota (knee), and DE Charles Omenihu (groin/ankle). That’s some serious talent staying on the sidelines when you’re about to face an undefeated team that’s looking to keep its perfect record intact.
A Glimmer of Hope With The Top Two Wideouts?
Now for a little bit of good news, or at least a potential sigh of relief. The Commanders could get their top two wide receivers, Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs, back on the field together for this critical contest. McLaurin, who missed a game earlier and then battled through a hamstring issue last week, is a definite go for Monday. That’s huge. Diggs, after missing last week’s game, is officially listed as questionable. He did practice in some capacity on Saturday, which is a good sign.
Beyond Diggs, there are nine players listed as questionable for Washington’s final injury report. We’re talking about CB Trey Amos (ankle), S Percy Butler (hamstring), S Nick Cross (illness), DT Javon Kinlaw (ankle/knee), LB Jordan Magee (hamstring), RB Jeremy McNichols (quad), S Tyler Owens (hamstring), and C Lucas Patrick (illness). The good news is that all of those guys practiced in some capacity on Saturday, with four of them even participating fully. So maybe some of those questionable tags will clear up before kickoff.
Facing one of the NFL’s last three unbeaten teams, the Commanders desperately need a win. With so many key guys banged up, especially on defense, and losing their starting running back, it’s gonna be a tough Monday night battle. Will getting McLaurin back and potentially Diggs be enough to spark the offense? We’ll find out when they kick off against the 49ers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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