The Redskins are tied for first place in the NFC East and they have their playoff fate in their own hands.
Washington also can get into the playoffs via the wild card route and they are now in position control their fate there, too. Here are the details.
After beating the Browns 38-21, the Redskins are 8-6. The Giants lost 34-0 to the Falcons, dropping them to 8-6 as well. They are tied atop the NFC East pending how the 7-6 Cowboys fare in their late afternoon game against the Steelers.
Washington and New York split the season series so we go to the second tiebreaker, which is division record. The Giants are 2-3 in the division with their season finale against the Eagles yet to come. The Redskins are 3-1 with their final two games coming in division at Philadelphia next week and home against the Cowboys on Dec. 30. So one Redskins win in their last two games would clinch that tiebreaker in their favor.
Dallas is 3-2 in the division and we will update their status at the conclusion of their game.
But the bottom line is that if the Redskins win their final two games they will be the division champs and they will host a playoff game at FedEx Field for the first time since 1999.
Meanwhile, the Bears lost to the Packers and they are now also 8-6. They did not play the Redskins this year but the Redskins now have an edge in conference record, the next tiebreaker. The Redskins are 6-4 in the NFC and the Bears are 5-5.
As of now, 8-6 is the best NFC record among teams who are not leading their divisions. That could change if the Seahawks beat the Bills in a late afternoon game.
Of course, the Redskins would rather win the division. But they may have the wild card as a fallback if they don’t.
Comments