The Washington Commanders were 7-2 through nine weeks and in first place in the NFC East. Washington lost a heartbreaker at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, making several mistakes, but against one of the AFC’s top teams.
It was a loss, but not a depressing defeat. Four days later, the Commanders lost on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles. While they faded in the fourth quarter, people forget that Washington led the game into the fourth quarter.
So, with the Commanders sitting at 7-4 ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys, optimism remained high. Unfortunately, the Commanders looked flat and uninspired, and the offense put on another less-than-stellar performance. While Jayden Daniels and the offense came alive late, they did next to nothing for three and a half quarters.
Sunday’s loss was a wild one. You could blame any number of things, but, Washington still lost.
So, it’s time for the Monday morning quarterbacks to debate if the Commanders can still make the playoffs.
First, ESPN’s Dan Graziano said it was “not an overreaction” that the Commanders would miss the playoffs.
The Commanders are three games behind first-place Philadelphia in the loss column in the NFC East (before the Eagles’ game on Sunday night) and occupy the seventh and final spot in the NFC playoff field — tied in the loss column with the Cardinals, Rams, Falcons and Seahawks. So yes, Washington is in real trouble here.
Jeff Kerr of CBS was more bullish on thoughts of Washington’s playoff chances.
Kerr called it an “overreaction” that the Commanders will miss the playoffs.
With their NFC East title chances taking a huge hit, the Commanders are the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The Rams and Seahawks aren’t far behind Washington, either. The schedule is favorable, with three of the five teams remaining currently having losing records, but Sunday’s loss to a deflated Cowboys team was a very bad one for a team looking to go to the playoffs.
We tend to side with Kerr here. While Graziano makes valid points, Washington still controls its playoff destiny. And an upcoming bye week will not only help the players get some rest but allow coaches to examine what’s gone wrong — and right — recently.
Yes, the Dallas loss was terrible. But many of Washington’s recent problems were of its own doing. Dropped passes, players jumping offsides, fumbles, special teams collapse. There are certainly reasons to believe all of those things won’t continue, and the Commanders will win more than they lose down the stretch and make the NFC playoff field.
