Tag: nfc playoffs

What Commanders’ Dan Quinn said on ‘Tell the Truth Monday’

Dan Quinn is focused on this week — and this week only.

Dan Quinn is such a patient man with the press.

Monday, Quinn was again before the press after a bye week. He had taken several questions, answering the questions focusing on the process of work, habits, culture, and this week’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints.

Then Scott Abraham (Washington’s ABC7) asked, “To your point of enjoying the process of winning, in its simplest form right now, your team controls its own destiny.”

This is where the dialog began.

That’s true, the Commanders are in the seventh seed spot in the playoff race. Win out, and they are in.

Abraham continued, “Do you emphasize that to your players, ‘Hey, the ball is in our court,’ and how exciting is that to be in this position?”

Without hesitation, Quinn responded, “Scott, you must have just logged on. There is zero chance we are talking about four weeks down the road.” Quinn then laughed so as not to make it too stern of a rebuke.

Going a step further, Quinn reached out in friendship, “But what I can tell you my friend, is that we really try to stay into the here and now. Honestly, what I talked about with the team was a concept of base camp. We are not at the bottom, but we’re no where near the summit. You just try to get to the next camp and then the next one.”

“So, if we continue to chase that, Scott, that’s where it’s at for us.”

“So, for us this week, we’re going to constantly chase, can we get better, and do everything we need to do to get ready for New Orleans?”

“The following week, we will do the same. I try to make it a discipline. Can we be disciplined enough to not look three and four weeks down the road?”

“That’s what we will constantly go after. So, sorry to spoil your moment there, but I did have to correct you there on that one.”

It was textbook, about how to tell the truth yet make an effort to be kind.

Good job, Monday, Coach Dan.

Commanders-Falcons is one of 5 candidates for Saturday flex in Week 17

Washington’s Week 17 game vs. Atlanta could be moved to Saturday.

Could a Week 17 showdown between Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders against Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons be moved to prime time?

Week 17—Christmas week—has NFL games on four different days: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. However, that’s the current schedule, as the league can flex multiple games to Saturday. The Commanders’ game against the Falcons is one of five games under consideration.

Washington has had two prime-time games this season: Week 3 against the Bengals on Monday Night Football and Week 11 against the Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Both games were on the road, with Washington going 1-1.

The NFL wanted to flex the Commanders’ Week 6 game against the Ravens to Sunday Night Football, but CBS blocked the move. That week’s Sunday night contest was the Bengals and Giants. Several around the NFL weren’t happy with CBS.

The Commanders did have one of their games flexed this season. In the Week 8 meeting with the Chicago Bears, the No. 1 overall pick (Caleb Williams) faced the No. 2 overall pick (Daniels), and the game was moved from 1 p.m. ET to the late afternoon 4:25 p.m. kickoff.

Here are the five games under consideration to be flexed in Week 17:

  • Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders
  • Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
  • Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals
  • Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants
  • Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots

The NFL has a tripleheader scheduled for Saturday, with three games on that day. Of the above games, Washington-Atlanta seems to have the most playoff implications. The Commanders hold the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff picture, while the Falcons are one game behind the Buccaneers in the NFC South.

The Cardinals-Rams is also a meeting with playoff implications for both teams, as they are locked in a battle with the Seahawks and 49ers to win the NFC West. The Chargers, Broncos and Colts are all in the playoff mix, while the Bengals are on the outside looking in. The Giants and Patriots are two of the NFL’s worst teams.

As it stands now, it looks like the Commanders and Falcons will meet on Saturday.

Eagles clinch playoff berth with win over Panthers, Cardinals loss to Seahawks

Eagles clinch playoff berth with win over Panthers, and Cardinals loss to Seahawks

Philadelphia entered Week 14 with multiple scenarios where they could clinch their fourth straight playoff berth under head coach Nick Sirianni.

Thanks to the Eagles’ 22-16 win over the Panthers, coupled with the Lions’ win on Thursday night and the Cardinals’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, the Birds are in the postseason and looking to lock down the No. 2 seed.

The Eagles control their destiny in the division and can still finish with the No. 1 seed if they win out and Detroit loses two of its final four games.

Detroit will face Buffalo and Minnesota to end the season, while Philadelphia still has to face Pittsburgh before finishing with three straight NFC East foes.

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Commanders Week 14 rooting guide

Who should the Commanders be rooting for in Week 14?

The Washington Commanders are off this week. After playing 13 consecutive weeks, Washington will have its bye week. At 8-5, the Commanders’ first 13 weeks could not have gone much better.

Despite a recent three-game losing streak in which Washington blew two games, the Commanders remain in an excellent position to make the NFC playoffs. It’s a remarkable accomplishment, considering Washington won four games last season.

Here’s a current look at the NFC playoff field:

  1. Detroit Lions
  2. Philadelphia Eagles
  3. Seattle Seahawks
  4. Atlanta Falcons
  5. Minnesota Vikings
  6. Green Bay Packers
  7. Washington Commanders

We explained why Washington may want to avoid the No. 7 seed. Whoever becomes the seventh seed must travel to Detroit or Philadelphia in January. The Lions and Eagles look like the NFC’s clear frontrunners ahead of the rest of the pack.

So, how can the Commanders move out of the No. 7 spot and into a higher seed? Well, things got off to a good start on Thursday night when the Lions defeated the Packers. The loss dropped Green Bay to 9-4 — only one game ahead of Washington.

First, the Commanders need their closest competitors for the seventh seed to lose, but they could use some help from the teams in front of them. Washington is currently 2.5 games behind Philadelphia in the NFC East. While they have a head-to-head meeting remaining, it’s difficult to see the Eagles losing enough games for the Commanders to catch them.

Which teams should Washington fans be rooting for in Week 14?

Here is the Commanders’ Week 14 rooting guide:

Lions over Packers

Mission accomplished, as Detroit defeated Green Bay 34-31 on Thursday.

Falcons over Vikings

Atlanta is a game-and-a-half behind the Commanders in the Wild Card picture but currently is atop the NFC South, ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, yeah, while you’d like to see the Falcons lose, Washington plays them in a few weeks. Meanwhile, a Minnesota loss would put the Commanders only two games out of the No. 5 seed.

Panthers over Eagles

Yeah, it’s not happening, but Washington fans will always root against the Eagles.

Raiders over Buccaneers

The Bucs defeated the Commanders in Week 1. Since then, much has changed, and Tampa could end up as the NFC South champions. The Buccaneers are playing better football than the Falcons right now. However, the Commanders would love to see the Bucs fall further down the NFC pecking order.

Seahawks over Cardinals

This one is tough. These teams are battling for the NFC West. Washington destroyed Arizona this season. Someone has to win the division, so the Commanders should hope for the Cardinals to fall further back in the Wild Card race.

Bills over Rams

The Rams (6-6) are also battling the Cardinals and Seahawks for the NFC West title. Washington should want the AFC powerhouse Bills to push Los Angeles further down the playoff picture.

Bears over 49ers

Washington is 2.5 games ahead of the Niners (5-7), while the Bears are 4-8. Another loss for the 49ers would all but end their season, which was not what anyone expected in July.

What’s one goal for the Commanders for the remainder of the regular season?

The top remaining goal for the Commanders — outside of making the playoffs.

It’s been a season to remember for the Washington Commanders. After they finished 4-13 one year ago, Washington cleaned house and, through 13 games, has already doubled its win total (8-5) from last season.

The Commanders are on a bye this week, but when they return in Week 15, they will look to remain in the NFC playoff hunt. Washington is currently in the No. 7 spot, 1.5 games ahead of other teams.

After a three-game losing streak, the Commanders rebounded on Sunday, crushing the Tennessee Titans 42-19. Washington’s offense put up almost 500 yards, led by the running game, which produced a season-high 267 yards.

The remaining goal for the Commanders over the final five weeks of the regular season is to make the playoffs. However, outside of that obvious goal, what should be Washington’s focus for the remainder of this season?

Pro Football Focus named one goal for all 32 NFL teams for the rest of this season. PFF’s goal for the Commanders: Improve defensively.

The Commanders secured a much-needed victory over the Titans in Week 13, staving off other playoff hopefuls to reach 8-5 and move to a 78% postseason probability. If Washington wants to go deeper than anticipated in Dan Quinn’s first year as head coach, it will need its defense to play at a higher level. The Commanders sit only 23rd in defensive EPA per play and 24th in yards per play allowed, although those figures have improved since Week 7 — ranking 17th and 13th, respectively.

Still, that’s not dominant enough to neutralize NFC powerhouses like Detroit, Philadelphia or even Minnesota. The debut of trade deadline acquisition Marshon Lattimore could help, but this unit still needs to play better collectively if likely Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels wants to cap off his rookie season in style.

Yes, Washington must improve defensively. Some things are holding the defense back. The inability to stop the run consistently, allowing big plays, inconsistent pass rush, and the lack of turnovers. Washington’s overall pass defense ranking is high because teams have ran so well against the Commanders.

The truth is that Washington has improved defensively. This unit looks much different than it did in the season’s early weeks. That’s coaching. The Commanders are still limited personnel-wise, but that should change with the impending debut of Lattimore. Lattimore and rookie Mike Sainristil give the Commanders a legit cornerback duo for the stretch run to the playoffs.

Updated Seahawks playoff odds heading into Week 13

Updated Seahawks playoff odds heading into Week 13

The Seattle Seahawks captured a massive victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. Mike Macdonald’s squad enters Sunday’s Week 13 showdown versus the New York Jets having won back-to-back NFC West divisional games against the Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Seattle’s postseason odds have been drastically altered as a result.

The Seahawks now possess approximately a 29% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Analytics department. ESPN’s predictive model gives Seattle a ~25% chance to win the NFC West division title, which they currently lead via the tiebreaker. Seattle’s remaining strength of schedule is 10th-hardest in the league, per Brady Henderson.

Prior to Sunday’s victory over the Cardinals, Seattle’s postseason odds stood at 11%, according to The Athletic’s playoff model. It more than doubled following Macdonald’s second straight win. Their odds of winning the NFC West stood at just 8 percent.

The Seahawks possess four remaining road contests (@ NYJ, @ ARZ, @ CHI, @ LAR) and just two home games (GB, MIN). Seattle’s next two matchups are on the road, including a rematch with the Cardinals. They’ll conclude their regular-season campaign with a road divisional game with the Los Angeles Rams. Their home dates are against consecutive NFC North opponents with Green Bay and Minnesota in Weeks 15 and 16.

A victory over the Jets on Sunday would further increase Seattle’s postseason chances.

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Kyle Shanahan discusses 49ers’ sense of urgency with playoff hopes dwindling

Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers know that they have very little margin for error moving forward.

After an embarrassing 38-10 loss at the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers are running out of room for future errors.

The loss dropped San Francisco to 5-6 and saw the 49ers lose back-to-back games for the second time this season.

Fortunately for San Francisco’s sake, no team has truly grabbed hold of and seized command of the wide-open NFC West. Even with its current record, San Francisco is level with the Los Angeles Rams and sits just one game back of the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals who are each 6-5 after Week 12 action.

Looking at the overall NFC Playoff picture, though, a division crown could very well be the only pathway forward into the postseason for the 49ers.

San Francisco saw firsthand on Sunday the strength of the NFC North. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Packers appear poised to swallow up three playoff bids and the NFC East looks like a two-bid division with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.

In his meeting with the media on Monday, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed the sense of urgency that he and the 49ers know they need to have moving forward.

“Yeah, without a doubt. I think everyone knows. You’ve just got to look at it for a couple minutes to realize where we’re at. It’s nice when you’re one game out of first in your own division. So that does say a lot, especially being able to play two of those teams left of our six games.

“But you also know, you look at the whole NFC picture and if you don’t win the division, it’s 10-7 not guaranteed to get in as a Wild Card by any means this year. So I think everyone understands completely outside and inside what the situation is,” Shanahan said.

As Shanahan also discussed, it’s why the 49ers’ consecutive losses versus the Seattle Seahawks and at the Green Bay Packers the past two weeks sting so much.

“That’s why that Seattle game was so tough of a loss and that’s why last night was even worse. We know what we got ahead of us. We know exactly what that playoff situation is. That is what it is,” Shanahan said.

Now that it’s dug itself a hole, San Francisco truly can’t think much beyond the task at hand.

“But really all that matters is this week. When you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that, then you better make sure you’re only thinking of one thing and that’s Buffalo.

“And so, we’ve had to take care of a lot of stuff today. I’m hoping that guys will take care of their bodies stuff here over the day and a half they’re away from us. We’ll come back Wednesday fully understanding the situation we’re in and coming back ready to fight because that’s all we can do right now is just fight our butts off. And I’ll be very surprised that not every guy in this building when I see them Wednesday isn’t ready for that exact mindset that we’re going to need to pull off what we feel we can,” Shanahan said.

If San Francisco can win at Buffalo (9-2) this week, that will go a long way toward restoring the belief that this team can make a push during the season’s stretch run.

After Buffalo, the 49ers close with games versus Chicago, versus the Los Angeles Rams, at Miami, versus Detroit and at Arizona.

The current NFC Playoff picture looks like this:

1. Detroit Lions (10-1)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-2)
3. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-5)
5. Minnesota Vikings (9-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
7. Washington Commanders (7-5)

Arizona is just outside the playoff picture in eighth place, while San Francisco is in a logjam with fellow 5-6 squads Tampa Bay and Los Angeles.

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Overreaction or reality? Commanders will miss the NFC playoffs

The Commanders will miss the playoffs: Overreaction or reality?

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.

Golden Tate believes the Seahawks can ‘shock the world’

Golden Tate believes the Seahawks can ‘shock the world’

It is simply amazing the world of difference even a single win can mean in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks likely saved their season from going under with their 20-17 upset win over the San Francisco 49ers. It may only be a single win, but it was the difference between falling to 4-6 or improving to 5-5, which puts them right back in the middle of the NFC West hunt.

Folks around the league are noticing it, such as former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate. On Good Morning Football, Tate explained how this team can potentially “shock the world” given the opportunity presented to them in the near future.

Namely, the Arizona Cardinals, who Seattle faces twice in the next three weeks. Including this weekend, for a crucial divisional showdown.

When Tate says the next few weeks could “make or break” the Seahawks’ season, he is not exaggerating. Arizona is the only team in the NFC West with a winning record, but they are only 6-4. Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco are all close behind with identical 5-5 records. In fact, the NFC West is the only division in football where not one team is below .500 on the year.

Facing the Cardinals twice in a three-week span is a tall order, but an excellent opportunity to potentially find a way to get back into first place.

Right now, the NFC Playoff picture looks like the North is going to send three teams to the postseason – Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota. In the East, the Eagles look back to their usual winning ways, but the Washington Commanders are perhaps the shock team of the conference. Should all those teams qualify for the playoffs, then the only path for a West team to get in the dance would be to win the division outright.

So, why not Seattle? Like Showtime Tate said, it’s make or break time.

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NFL standings highlight why 49ers loss to Seahawks was so damaging

The 49ers are in last in the NFC West … yikes.

The San Francisco 49ers looked primed to fight their way back to the playoffs like they have multiple times after slow starts under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

They entered Week 11 at 5-4, and a win over the Seattle Seahawks would have put them in a tie for the NFC West and nipping at the heels of a wild card spot if their division hopes fell short.

Instead, they lost 20-17 at Levi’s Stadium and made what was a relatively clear path to the postseason a lot more cloudy.

Here is where the 49ers sit in the NFC West after Sunday:

1. Cardinals (6-4)
2. Rams (5-5)
3. Seahawks (5-5)
4. 49ers (5-5)

While on the surface this doesn’t look so bad, we have to factor in the reality that the 49ers aren’t playing well enough to believe they’ll win the rest of their games. If they did do that, they’d be in a great spot.

Unfortunately this season has shown us these aren’t the 49ers teams of recent history (read: last season).

So what we have is a team that now at best can split with every team in the division. If they do that they’ll be 3-3 overall in the NFC West. The problem with that is division record is the first tiebreaker after head-to-head matchups. In our scenario the 49ers would go to the division record with any team they tie with, and 3-3 isn’t likely going to cut it.

To win the NFC West the 49ers will now have to go on such a tear that they avoid a tie breaking scenario. Given the struggles this club has dealt with since Week 2, we’re not ready to bank on that just yet.

Perhaps there’s a run in them. Maybe injuries hit other teams or they start playing poorly later in the year and the 49ers scoop up a slew of wins in the final seven games. That would change the calculus.

Where they sit after a Week 11 defeat against the Seahawks, however, the path to the postseason by way of winning the division looks darker than it has in a long time.

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