The Washington Commanders went into their bye week after a 42-19 beatdown of the lowly Tennessee Titans. They had lost the previous three games, and needed a win as they prepared to recharge for the final for games of the regular season. They are 8-5, and could move up to the 6th seed this week with a win over the Saints and a Packers loss. They’re firmly in the playoffs picture entering Week 15.
The bye week didn’t move the needle much for Washington in the power rankings. They were sliding after the losing streak, but have settled in to the 6-16 range over the last two weeks. Most power rankings stayed the same, and there wasn’t any significant movement. The biggest drop came from the Athletic, going from #9 to #11.
The Washington Commanders’ odds shifted again after their bye. Their odds to make the playoffs and Super Bowl odds both went up, while their division odds lowered after the Philadelphia Eagles barely beat the Carolina Panthers. The NFC East still is a two-way race, but the Commanders would need a complete collapse from the Eagles over the final four games to overtake them.
High: 6
Low: 16
Average: 11.1
#6
NumberFire
Last week: 7
#9
USA Today(Davis)
The last time they won more than 10 games was 1991 – also the last time Washington enjoyed a Super Bowl season. Coming out of their bye at 8-5, the Commanders seem likely to be favored in three of their final four games, when they could be warding off NFC West teams for the conference’s final playoff spot. Last week: 8
#10
ESPN
Most shocking ranking: 3rd in rushing
Under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy last season, Washington rushed for more than 125 yards only twice and ranked 27th in rushing yards per game (93.6). Now, it averages 156.9 rushing yards per game. Some of that stems from quarterback Jayden Daniels, but even if it was just the running backs, Washington would still rank eighth and average almost 14 more yards per game than a year ago. It has been an emphasis under coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and it has led to five games with more than 200 rushing yards and nine with more than 125.— John Keim Last week: 10
Sports Illustrated(Orr)
Coming off a bye and immediately inheriting the Saints without Derek Carr is not the worst situation for a Commanders team eyeing win No. 9. While I wouldn’t discount this Saints team, there were about 9,000 things that had to go absolutely right in order for New Orleans to hang on against the Giants—one of the worst teams in the NFL. Last week: 10
Yahoo Sports(Schwab)
The Commanders are in good shape for a playoff spot if they win at New Orleans on Sunday. Their playoff odds would get a lot worse if they blow that game, and we remember them being upset by the Cowboys recently. Last week: 10
Sporting News (Iyer)
The Commanders are looking better for locking down a wild-card berth after beating the Titans before the Week 14 bye. Their schedule sets them up well the rest of the way beyond a Week 16 home rematch with the Eagles. Last week: 10
Pro Football Talk
Don’t look now, but their sure-fire postseason berth isn’t so sure anymore. Last week: 10
Bleeding Green Nation(Gowton)
The Commanders return from their bye to play in New Orleans. If they lose and the Eagles beat the Steelers, the Birds will officially be NFC East champions and the Commanders will have to settle for a wild card spot at best. Last week: 10
Sharp Football Analysis
Last week: 10
#11
NFL.com(Edholm)
Finding their offensive groove again prior to the bye week felt big at the time, but it’s even bigger now. It not only helped end the Commanders’ three-game losing streak but also strengthened their grip on a postseason bid and reminded opponents of how dangerous this team was at one point this season. They’re not a dead lock for the playoffs, but they’re pretty close. The division is even still up for grabs, with a key game against the Eagles on the horizon in Week 16. Outside of the Eagles, the remaining defenses on Washington’s schedule are not that outwardly intimidating, which could help the Commanders wrap up the playoff bid and keep pushing the Eagles until the end of the regular season. Expect Dan Quinn to have his team re-energized with a renewed sense of purpose as Washington heads to New Orleans this week. Last week: 11
The Athletic(Kendall)
Breakout player: Safety Jeremy Chinn
After two down years to end his time in Carolina, Chinn is healthy and enjoying his new life in Washington. He has started all 13 games for the Commanders, which already tops his games played totals from the last two seasons, and he’s second on the team with 86 tackles, which is almost three times what he had a year ago with the Panthers. Washington may end up regretting it only signed him to a one-year deal. Last week: 9
The 33rd Team(Mosher)
The Washington Commanders were on bye in Week 14, but they saw teams like the Buccaneers, 49ers, and Rams all win in the NFC. While they are still the favorites to earn the No. 7 seed, the need to go at least 2-2 in the next four weeks to earn that spot.
That shouldn’t be too difficult, but don’t be surprised if their season comes down to a Week 18 game against the Cowboys in Dallas. Last week: 11
Pro Football Network(Kennedy)
Offense+ Rank: 5
Defense+ Rank: 21
Special Teams+ Rank: 13
SOS Rank: 30
After the Commanders’ Week 9 win over the Giants, Washington was 7-2 and looked like one of the better teams in the league. However, the team proceeded to come back down to Earth and lose their next three games.
Last week, the Commanders managed to snap this losing streak with an impressive win over the Titans. The offense looked to be back on track after some underwhelming outings, and it came against a defense that has been reasonably good this year.
Yet, it is still fair to question the Commanders’ credentials. They have zero wins against teams with a winning record, and they are 0-4 when facing teams who are .500 or better this season.
Washington was on bye this week, and it comes at a perfect time so they can regroup. Next week, the Commanders will face a depleted Saints team on the road in a very winnable game. Last week: 12
WalterFootball
The Redskins did well to rebound from their pathetic display against the Cowboys. More importantly, Jayden Daniels looked great for the first time since his rib injury. He went 25-of-30 for 206 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. I’d say that’s pretty good. Last week: 11
Odds Shark
Last week: 11
#12
CBS Sports(Prisco)
They sit in the seventh spot in the playoff race coming off their bye, and the schedule is favorable the final four weeks. The bye had to be good for the continued improved health of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Last week: 12
Fox Sports(Helman)
Suddenly, the Rams are a lot closer to Washington’s wild-card spot than they’d probably prefer. Fresh off a bye week, it’d be big for the Commanders to beat a banged-up Saints team and give themselves some playoff breathing room. Last week: 12
Bleacher Report
Not many folks expected rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to have the Washington Commanders in contention for a postseason spot this late in the season. But after a 7-2 start, the Commanders dropped three straight before finally righting the ship last week against the lowly Tennessee Titans.
Daniels has been the star of this surprising season in the nation’s capital, but he told reporters that, in his opinion, getting running back Brian Robinson and the ground game going is the key to success in December.
“What he’s been doing this season is remarkable,” Daniels said. “How he’s able to run and get to the second level. Break tackles so, obviously, any running game is going to help out any quarterback. It opens up a lot. Obviously, being able to get guys to move the line of scrimmage and getting to the second level. Let our backs do what they do. We’re getting to those times of the season where in December, January you’ve got to be able to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball.”
Analyst’s Take
The Commanders don’t have a ton of margin for error down the stretch with the Rams breathing down their necks, and even if the Commanders do make it into the second season, they aren’t likely to make a lot of noise. But just getting to the playoffs would be a huge achievement for a team that drafted second overall. Add in that Washington has seemingly solved their quarterback issues in the long-term, and the future is bright in D.C. — Davenport Last week: 12
New York Post(Dunleavy)
Last week: 12
#13
The Score
Last week: 12
Sportsnaut(Johnson)
The Washington Commanders should feel excellent as they return from the Week 14 bye. Jayden Daniels already seemed healthy in his last start before the bye and two weeks off just gives him even more time to to return to 100 percent. Plus, Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore is finally poised to make his Commanders’ debut in Week 15. Already standing at 8-5, it might only take two total wins against the Saints, Falcons and Cowboys for Washington to punch its playoff ticket. Last week: 12
NFL Trade Rumors(Woodie)
The Commanders were on bye this week and travel to New Orleans in Week 15. Last week: 13
Team Rankings
Last week: 12
#16
The Ringer(Lee)
Last week: 15
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