Sincere McCormick Has Earned More Touches

Las Vegas Raiders running back Sincere McCormick received an opportunity to lead the backfield in Sunday’s defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCormick was extremely effective, rushing for 78 yards via 15 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. The Raiders should feature him more consistently down the stretch of a lost season.

A third-year back, McCormick joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He’s been an on-again off-again member of the roster ever since, enduring several stints on the practice squad and signing reserve/futures contracts. McCormick has featured in three consecutive games due to multiple injuries at running back and took full advantage of his opportunity.

Typical starter Zamir White missed his third straight game with a quad injury. Veteran back Alexander Mattison has also been sidelined for multiple weeks with a setback in his ankle. McCormick and journeyman Ameer Abdullah entered Sunday as the lead backs.

McCormick was Antonio Pierce's weapon of choice in the backfield, out-carrying Abdullah 15-1. He accumulated 89 total yards of offense, adding three receptions and 11 receiving yards to his offensive numbers. In truth, McCormick has looked like the most productive back in Vegas this season.

McCormick showcased elusiveness and terrific contact balance. On his longest rush of the afternoon, an explosive 29-yard gain, the former UTSA standout broke multiple tackles on 3rd-and-1, spinning out of the grasp of two defenders. McCormick is creating yards for himself, something the Raiders’ veteran backs haven’t done enough of this campaign.

McCormick's 5.2 yards per carry output versus the Buccaneers was a better per-carry average than any single-game number White has produced in eight appearances this season. In a 19-17 Black Friday defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, McCormick rushed for 64 yards via 12 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt. Both of those averages are better than Mattison's best single-contest average, too.

What made McCormick's performance on Sunday more impressive was that the Buccaneers’ defense harped on stopping the run, trying to force Aidan O’Connell to beat them with his arm. McCormick faced stacked boxes (eight or more defenders near the line of scrimmage) on 40% of his rushing attempts, according to tracking data provided by Next Gen Stats. 

McCormick also posted 30 more rushing yards over expected (RYOE), the second-best output of the week behind just Zach Charbonnet entering Monday Night Football. McCormick's 2.03 rushing yards over expected per attempt (RYOE/att) is the best output of Week 14 thus far.

The Raiders are expected to undergo sweeping changes on offense this offseason. Though they're prime candidates to select a quarterback near the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, personnel at running back should look drastically different, too. Both Mattison and Abdullah are scheduled for free agency and aren't expected to be re-signed. White is slated to enter a fate-deciding contract year in 2025 and shouldn't be assured anything as an unproven commodity.

The Raiders are competing for draft positioning while evaluating potential 2025 decisions. There's no reason to rush White or Mattison back into the fold. McCormick should conclude the campaign as Pierce's preferred ball-carrier.