Commanders are almost a lock to do something they haven't done in years and not many people saw it coming
The Washington Commanders surpassed Vegas' season projection of 6.5 wins after beating the New York Giants on Sunday, which is awfully impressive when considering we just passed the halfway point of the season.Jayden Daniels has been lights-out and even better than advertised and Dan Quinn has done an outstanding job of rebuilding the roster, along […]
The Washington Commanders surpassed Vegas' season projection of 6.5 wins after beating the New York Giants on Sunday, which is awfully impressive when considering we just passed the halfway point of the season.
Jayden Daniels has been lights-out and even better than advertised and Dan Quinn has done an outstanding job of rebuilding the roster, along with getting everyone bought in and ready to go on game day. The team is playing good football on both sides of the ball and the Commanders not only lead the NFC East, but they're currently the NFC's No. 2 seed.
At this point, the Commanders are almost a lock to make the playoffs. Playoffstatus. com says Washington has a 90% chance of making the postseason and NFL.com's formula has them at 84%. ESPN's playoff predictor has them at 90%, as well, with a 51% chance of winning the East.
If the Commanders make the playoffs as top dogs in the NFCE, then it'll be the first time the team has done so in four years. It last accomplished the feat back in 2020, when Ron Rivera took advantage of a downtrodden division with a 7-9 record.
A quick and cool random stat that fits in: The Commanders have actually been division winners the last three times they've made the playoffs (2012, 2015, 2020).
It's been an incredible ride, so far. As noted above, expectations weren't very high coming into this year. While Quinn's done an amazing job, the Commanders roster isn't loaded, by any means, and questions at key positions still remain. Very few head coaches can pull off what he's been able to do and it should have him in the driver's seat for Coach of the Year.
Commanders' remaining strength of schedule and how it plays into the playoff hunt
When it comes to remaining strength of schedule, the Commanders are right in the middle of the pack at No. 16, per Tankathon. Their remaining opponents have a .515 win percentage and the hardest matchups are the Philadelphia Eagles twice, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Atlanta Falcons. All three of those teams currently have six wins on the year, already, and they combine for a 21-7 record through nine weeks.
Washington's other matchups include the Dallas Cowboys twice, the Tennessee Titans, and the New Orleans Saints. The Titans and Saints are likely to own top-5 draft picks, next year, and the Cowboys just lost Dak Prescott to a long-term hamstring injury. None of these teams have more than three wins and combine for a 7-18 record through nine weeks.
Overall, things look really good. And if the Commanders take care of business like they have so far, things will get even better.
