Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Brian Robinson Jr.

Sunday, January 26, 6:46 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler tallied just 32 all-purpose yards during their loss in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ekeler also lost a fumble. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout most of the contest, putting their rushing attack out of the game plan. However, even when Ekeler was given the ball through the air, he could not perform. He caught five of his seven targets but tallied just 17 yards. His seven targets tied him the second-most on the team, only behind tight end Zach Ertz. Throughout the season, the 29-year-old operated primarily as a change-of-pace option in the Washington backfield. Entering Sunday, Ekeler posted a strong 10.3 yards per catch and a 4.8 yards per carry. Ekeler will likely remain in this role next season as he enters the final year of his contract.

Sunday, January 26, 6:40 PM

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. tallied just 36 yards on 11 rushing attempts in the NFC title game. The Commanders played from behind throughout the game as the Eagles got out to an early lead. As a result, this put Robinson out of the game plan. However, when given the ball, the Alabama product was ineffective, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Last weekend, Robinson tallied 77 yards and two scores on 15 carries in their upset victory over the Detroit Lions. After averaging a solid 64 rushing yards per game during his first 10 games, Robinson saw his production decline over the back half of the season. Over his final seven games of the 2024 season, Robinson eclipsed 60 rushing yards in just two games and scored just two touchdowns. Given his inconsistent production, the Commanders will likely address this position in the offseason.