Washington has a bit to play for on Sunday.
Week 18 playoff picture | Seeding scenarios and more – Zach Selby, Commanders.com
Washington is in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Washington Commanders are officially in the playoffs.
With a thrilling 30-24 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Commanders punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2020 and earned their first 11-win season since 1991. They currently own the No. 6 seed, and if the playoffs started tomorrow, they would play the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in the first round.
But with one more game left in the regular season, there are several factors still in play. Let’s look at the current playoff picture ahead of the season finale.
No. 6 Washington Commanders (11-5)
It might not have been pretty, but the Commanders pulled out wins over playoff caliber teams in dramatic fashion two weeks in a row. Jayden Daniels has been the talk of the league for the role he played in getting those victories; he threw eight touchdowns compared to two interceptions while rushing for a combined 208 yards. Head coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders will be playing to win in the rematch against the Dallas Cowboys, and they’ll need a winning effort to lock up the No. 6 seed.
Commanders WR Olamide Zaccheaus Has Stepped Up in the Past Two Weeks – David Harrison, Sports Illustrated
The former Falcon and Eagle has been flying high the last two weeks against his old teams.
The Washington Commanders knew other players had to step up when receiver Noah Brown went down for what might be the rest of the season – regular and post.
In Week 16, there was a group effort with Commanders’ receivers Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, and Olamide Zaccheaus all stepping up to make big plays in a crucial win for the team.
On Sunday Night Football, needing a win over the Atlanta Falcons to punch their ticket to the postseason, Zaccheaus once again shined in the effort as he led the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. And he’s where we start our Week 17 ‘Stash and Trash’ from the latest Washington victory in what continues to be an all-around impressive campaign for the franchise.
3 THINGS TO STASH FROM WEEK 17
REVENGE TOUR FINALE
Receiver Olamide Zaccheaus was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia in 2019 when the Atlanta Falcons, led by head coach Dan Quinn, took a chance on him and brought him onto the team.
Eventually, Zaccheaus left, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles last year before rejoining Quinn with the Commanders. In Week 16, the veteran was instrumental in defeated those Eagles, and in Week 17 he was absolutely critical in beating the Falcons.
Call it a revenge tour if you want, but whatever it is, Zaccheaus has stepped up for his team in a big way catching 13 passes for 155 yards and three scores, and he was one less bad officiating call from making it four touchdowns in the past two games.
Whatever Zaccheaus has cooking we hope its not just about playing former teams, because his spark could be incredibly valuable in beating the Dallas Cowboys this weekend.
Commanders’ Dan Quinn is sculpting one of best coaching jobs in NFL history – Douglas Fritz, ClutchPoints.com
The one-year turnaround in Washington should certainly be attributed to Dan Quinn.
On a night when Jayden Daniels etched his name alongside Josh Allen, the terrific rookie also broke a record held by a former Washington Commanders player. But as good as Daniels has been, Dan Quinn is sculpting one of the best coaching jobs in NFL history.
Jayden Daniels connected with Zach Ertz in overtime for his third touchdown pass of the game Sunday night, giving the Commanders a wild 30-24 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in a back-and-forth prime-time showdown between rookie first-round quarterbacks.
The victory locked up the Commanders’ first postseason berth since 2020. They haven’t won a game since 2005.
Commanders HC Dan Quinn has done incredible job
Before they hand out the coach of the year hardware, let’s get a few things straight. Quinn doesn’t have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and talented defense like the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell. He doesn’t have Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the NFL’s best one-two punch backfield like the Lions’ Dan Campbell. And Quinn doesn’t have Patrick Mahomes and one of the NFL’s best defenses like the Chiefs’ Andy Reid.
So what does Quinn have? He has a dynamic rookie quarterback who has far exceeded expectations. And then he has … waiting … crickets.
Dan Quinn has squeezed blood out of turnip
It starts on the defense side of the ball. The Commanders simply are not good. Yes, they rank No. 8 in the NFL in yards allowed. But that’s because they stand No. 7 in the league in time of possession. A defense doesn’t have to stop people when it isn’t on the field.
In just one season, Quinn transformed a franchise Dan Snyder spent two decades ruining. Think about how unlikely this has been.
Quinn inherited a history of losing. He inherited a bad roster. He had to start from scratch with a rookie quarterback and a paper-thin receiver room. Think about the Commanders’ receivers for a minute. The room is so bad the Commanders scooped up a receiver from arguably the worst team in the NFL. K.J. Osborn couldn’t get on the field for the Patriots, but the Commanders saw him as a boost to their receiver group.
Nobody is predicting the Commanders will make a Super Bowl run this year. But if they hit on at least two draft picks in 2025 and sign a pair of key free agents, this team could be knocking at the door next year. Thanks in a big way to Quinn.
