The Washington Commanders are 10-5 and have a two-game lead for the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoff field. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks both sit at 8-7, but Seattle is eliminated from Wild-Card contention. Its only path to the playoffs is to overtake the Rams and win the NFC West.
Washington’s Week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons was recently flexed to Sunday Night Football because it features playoff implications for both teams. The Falcons (8-7) sit atop the NFC South over the Buccaneers by virtue of a tiebreaker and control their own destiny.
The Buccaneers play at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Before you think that’s an easy win for Tampa Bay, the Panthers are playing much better in recent weeks. Remember, the Bucs only beat Carolina by three points earlier this month.
If Carolina can defeat the Buccaneers, Washington will clinch a playoff spot before kickoff on Sunday night. The Commanders, who were 4-13 last season, would have two games remaining on their schedule to win the one game they need to make the playoffs.
Remarkable.
Ideally, Washington takes care of business without needing to rely on others.
The odds are certainly in Washington’s favor.
