All it would have taken for the Washington Commanders to be viewed in a different light in a gentle whisper of a few plays going in a different direction. As it stands now, the Commanders are 10-5 and control their own destiny.
But there are big obstacles to them making the playoffs.
First and foremost, if the Commanders lose their last two games they stand a good chance of sitting at home when NFL postseason play begins. They would have head-to-head losses against both Tampa Bay and Atlanta. And both of those teams have good shots at getting to 10-7 if the Falcons beat the Commanders. Atlanta has Washington in Week 17 and Carolina in Week 18 while Tampa Bay closes with the Panthers (Week 17) and Saints (Week 18).
Short answer: A record of 10-7 likely doesn’t get the Commanders into the postseason.
Why is there concern about the Commanders finishing strong?
It comes from the way they won three of their games. The madness started with a Hail Mary win over the Chicago Bears. That finish had so many improbable angles, calling it a miracle may be underselling it. A Bears player taunted fans while the play started. The Bears’ mediocre pass rush allowed Jayden Daniels to run around like a kid on a playground until his receivers were in position. And the way nobody covered Commanders receiver Noah Brown who gleefully snatched the tipped pass in the end zone.
Part II came in New Orleans, when the Commanders inexplicably blew a 17-0 second-half lead against a team with zero star players left on the active roster. With no time left on the clock, the Saints only needed a two-point conversion for the win. They missed, the Commanders exhaled, and a 20-19 victory entered the ledger.
And the trifecta came Sunday against the Eagles. Despite turning the ball over five times, including one that should have ended hope with three minutes remaining. The only reason it didn’t is DeVonta Smith incredibly dropped a short pass while wide open on third down. The game would have ended with an Eagles victory if he secures the perfectly thrown pass. Instead, the Eagles kick a field goal and the Commanders have new life. That set the stage for Jayden Daniels to produce another shocking finish. It’s a place where Daniels has grown comfortable, according to head coach Dan Quinn and espn.com.
“He really lights up in those spots,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “Today, he became a heavy hitter.”
Daniels said it’s a labor of love.
“I love those types of situations,” Daniels said. “Those are when it’s on thin ice and plays need to be made. That’s what you live for. If you really love the sport you live for those big-time moments where it comes down to the end, everything’s against you, your back is against the wall. How will you respond?”
Jamison Crowder caught the nine-yard scoring strike from Daniels to beat the Eagles, 36-33.
“I see a lot of poise,” Crowder said. “He’s cool, calm, collected under pressure. A lot of times you don’t get that from a lot of quarterbacks.”
Commanders schedule also plays a role
Washington closes with two games against Quinn’s former teams. First up are the Falcons, who Quinn led to the Super Bowl and experienced the famous collapse from a 28-3 lead against the Patriots. He later landed in Dallas, and the Commanders’ season ends with a road trip to face the Cowboys.
Quinn is already 0-1 against his old teams, losing to the Cowboys earlier this season. And it doesn’t bode well for him if he takes his bunch to Dallas needing a win to earn a playoff berth. The Cowboys are playing much better of late, and would like nothing better than to send Quinn packing with a devastating loss.
Basically it boils down to this: The Commanders are in a must-win situation against the Falcons, who have a new quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. The game is at home for the Commanders. If they can’t win that contest, forget about traveling to Dallas and earning a playoff berth.
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