NFC Playoff Picture: Commanders In For Christmas?

The Washington Commanders lost Saturday to the San Francisco 49ers. Where does that put them in the current NFC playoff picture?

Jeremy Brener | Dec 25, 2022

The Washington Commanders are waking up on Christmas morning with a present in their stocking.

The gift isn't as big as the Dallas Cowboys' confidence-boosting win against the Philadelphia Eagles or the Minnesota Vikings' 61-yard field goal to win another one-possession contest, but considering how naughty the Commanders were starting 1-4 this season, they will take it.

The present? The seventh seed in the NFC playoff picture and the ability to control their own destiny for the final two games at home.

Simply put, if the Commanders can beat the Cleveland Browns and Cowboys in the final two weeks at home, Washington will punch a ticket to the postseason.

That's because everyone else fighting for one of the last two NFC playoff spots lost on Christmas Eve.

The Giants lost on the aforementioned last-second field goal from Vikings kicker Greg Joseph.

The Lions had the ball run down their throats against the Carolina Panthers.

And the Seahawks couldn't shake off the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here's a look at the NFC playoff picture ...

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-2)

2. Minnesota Vikings (12-3)

3. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8) *plays Sunday at Arizona Cardinals

5. Dallas Cowboys (11-4)

6. New York Giants (8-6-1)

7. Washington Commanders (7-7-1)

8. Seattle Seahawks (7-8)

9. Detroit Lions (7-8)

10. Green Bay Packers (7-8)

The three teams the Commanders need to keep their eye on are the Seahawks, Lions and Packers, as all can take their spot with a win and Washington loss next week.

The Seahawks host the Jets, the Lions face the Bears at home and the Packers welcome the Vikings to town. All are winnable games, which only puts more pressure on the Commanders to defeat the Browns at FedEx Field next Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Published Dec 25, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.