Win & In for Washington Football Team?

The Week 16 playoff scenarios are in and despite a loss, the Washington Football Team control their destiny. It's not quite 'win and in,' but ...

ASHBURN, Va. - It's not exactly a win-and-in scenario for the still-first-place Washington Football Team this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

But it's a win-and-maybe-you're-in setup. 

Here's the deal: If on Sunday at FedExField, the WFT beat the team that once fired coach Ron Rivera, they would hang on to first place no matter what happens elsewhere in the division. 

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At the same time, that the Washington-Carolina game is going down, just a little bit up the road in Baltimore, if the New York Giants lose to the Ravens? Then, that's it. 

The Washington Football Team would be champions of the NFC East after Week 16 and would lock in a home playoff game two weeks later, possibly against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs. Or maybe, once again, against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. 

That's it. Very simple. If they win and the Giants win, they'll still be in first place by themselves but then tempt fate in the season's final week in Philadelphia, while New York hosts Dallas.

If they lose to coach Matt Rhule and the Panthers, who will possibly play without Christian McCaffrey as they have for much of the year, it opens the door for not only the Giants but for the Eagles and the Cowboys as well.

It can be argued that nothing comes easy for the WFT and maybe at 6-8, it should not. But this scenario is fairly simple, even with the needing of help. 

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The WFT got plenty on Sunday even after they lost to the Seahawks, so one probably can't reasonably ask for more. But even if they don't get more aid, the week in Washington is still all about the must-win meeting with the Panthers.