Antonio Gibson has been the starting running back for the Washington Commanders in his first two NFL seasons. Overall, he has performed well. Washington’s 2020 third round pick has totalled over two thousand all purpose yards and twenty one total touchdowns in his short NFL career. It should be noted that he has produced at a high level while learning a position that he played very sparingly during his college days in Memphis.
However, it should also be noted that Gibson has recorded seven fumbles, six of them coming from last season in 2021. Inconsistency has also been an issue with Gibson. In 31 career games (regular season and postseason), he has logged 51 yards or less on the ground 15 times. Now, I’m sure many of you will blame this on offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s play calling and/or Gibson’s lack of ability to stay healthy. There will also be those that will blame the team for falling behind early on in games and having no choice but to abandon the run. Those are points to be considered, but I would counter those with this: in those 15 games where Gibson did not log more than 51 rushing yards, he averaged 4.0 yards per carry or less in 10 of them.
For those that will blame others, it’s also fair to blame Gibson for not producing more yards on early downs. We all know the run game is vital for an offense to set up play action, to keep the chains moving, to play ball control, and to win time of possession. An anemic running game has put pressure on lackluster quarterbacks to consistently convert third-and-longs. It is clearly evident that that is not a recipe for success.
Gibson is entering his third year. The pressure has mounted on him to consistently produce, and more importantly, to protect the football. Washington drafted running back Brian Robinson Jr. in the third round of this year’s draft. He did not fumble once during his college career at Alabama. Robinson Jr. has impressed in training camp and has done well in two preseason appearances. He has done enough to earn himself a lot more reps with the first team offense. Gibson, on the other hand, has been relegated to second and third team work. Gibson has even seen action on special teams. This is largely due to Gibson fumbling in the first preseason game and in part due to Robinson Jr.’s performance. So the question for Gibson is, what now?
Some will see these moves as a demotion for Gibson. However, I see this as a brand new, and better, opportunity for him. Despite the criticisms that I have made of Gibson, there is still a massive role for him on this team that could make the Commanders lethal. Gibson has transitioned from a gadget wide receiver and return specialist in college to a running back in the pros. Now, I believe the best fit for Gibson would be returning to his college role. Now, you might be asking, why would we do that? I shall answer that question with a question; what does Ron Rivera love?
Versatility. That’s exactly what Antonio Gibson offers. He was a wide receiver and a kick returner in college. He has rushed for over 1,700 yards in two seasons in the NFL. He’s 6’2 and 220 lbs. Gibson brings so much versatility. Now, assuming Robinson Jr. carries (pun intended) his momentum into the regular season, we can assume that he will be getting the bulk of the carries. Gibson can now be a spell back and be a mismatch as a receiver anywhere he lines up. He can be Washington’s version of Deebo Samuel. Many of you will point to Curtis Samuel to fill that role. However, Gibson is a better rusher and is a much bigger guy to run between the tackles. Plus, who says you can’t have two such players?
Gibson has a lot of potential because of his size and versatility. I think this role would be a better overall utilization of Gibson. He has dealt with nagging injuries in the past. Not being asked to run between the tackles 15-25 times a game will reduce the wear and tear on his body. This proposed new role will also play to Gibson’s strengths as opposed to continue going through growing pains being a full-time running back.
If I haven’t sold you yet on this idea, just imagine a backfield of Gibson, Robinson Jr. and J.D. McKissic split out wide. Or, have McKissic in the backfield with Robinson Jr. and Gibson split out wide. Imagine jet sweeps, fakes, bubble screens, read options, and RPO’s with all three backs on the field at the same time. Imagine the strain on opposing defenses that just those two variations of that formation would cause. If Rivera and Turner decide to use Gibson in this way, then the sky is the limit for this offense.
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