The Washington Commanders had a clear path to the playoffs ahead of Week 15. Washington was in sole possession of the No. 6 spot in the NFC playoffs and coming off a late bye against a team it tied two weeks before.
Unfortunately for the Commanders, their offense struggled to get going in the first half — again — and they were forced to play from behind in the second half. While the score was close, Washington’s offensive struggles left no margin for error in a 20-12 loss to the New York Giants.
While the Commanders remain in contention for the playoffs, they currently hold the No. 7 and final spot in the NFC; they no longer control their own destiny with another loss.
Per FiveThirtyEight, the Commanders’ playoff odds ahead of their Week 16 clash against the San Francisco 49ers are at 38%. One week ago, Washington’s odds were near 80%. If the Commanders had defeated the Giants their odds would have increased to around 90%.
The Giants’ current odds are 86%, while the Detroit Lions, currently on the outside looking in, are at 40%. Keep in mind Washington currently has a half-game lead over Detroit but faces a more difficult schedule than the Lions down the stretch.