Commanders surprisingly face last playoff gasp against Chiefs

There are a couple of reasons the Washington Commanders can feel like they have a chance against the Chiefs, including the return of two offensive weapons. But the Commanders surprisingly face their last playoff gasp against the Chiefs.

With Patrick Mahomes on the other side and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels out, it seems like a long shot for the Commanders to pull off a win. But the Commanders have to put everything they have into winning this game, or their 2025 season could be shot.

How did they get to this position just seven weeks into a once-promising season? Let’s take a look.

Why would a loss to the Chiefs be a crushing blow?

It’s those pesky NFL standings. Yes, there are 10 games left, and a lot can happen.

However, the Commanders are in a three-way tie for No. 11 in the NFC heading into the game. A loss puts them at No. 13. And remember, there are only 16 teams in the conference. That’s a pretty low spot to begin climbing a mountain.

A win, however, puts them in a tie for No. 9 with the Panthers. And the Commanders could legitimately see a better path.

But let’s look at the teams in front of the Commanders. The Packers are 5-1-1, and they aren’t going anywhere. Neither are the Eagles (6-2) and Buccaneers (6-2). There’s a pretty good chance those teams are division champions. And the NFC West champ should come from either the Seahawks (5-2) or the Rams (5-2). The other should be a Wild Card. And the Lions (5-2) seem like a playoff lock, either catching the Packers or getting a Wild Card spot.

That’s six of the seven spots. That means the Commanders must find a way to get past the 49ers (5-3), Bears (4-3), Panthers (4-4), Cowboys (3-4-1), Falcons (3-4), and Vikings (3-4) for one playoff spot. And keep in mind the Commanders are already 0-3 against that group, having lost to Atlanta, Dallas, and the Bears.

So imagine how hard it would be to catch all of those teams if the Commanders are 3-5 at what amounts to the halfway point of the season. Also, Washington still has the Seahawks, Lions, Broncos, Eagles, Cowboys, and Eagles again on their schedule.

Let’s be honest. After beating the Lions in the playoffs last year, that’s a loss this year. And there’s no way the Commanders will sweep the Eagles. So a loss to the Chiefs seems to make 9-8 the best-case scenario. Nobody in the NFC is going to the postseason with that kind of record. So getting to 10-7 is the key, and that only gives a team an outside chance.

Simply put, the schedule and the current record add up to tonight being a must-win situation for the Commanders.

Commanders aren’t where they thought they would be

Strong safety Jeremy Reaves is among the Commanders players who aren’t happy with where things stand, according to ESPN.

“I’m pissed,” he said. “We’re so much better than what we’re doing now. “I understand what winning looks like now. Last year showed me what it feels like to win and that s— is fun. I’m not trying to take 10 steps forward to go five steps back.”

Injuries have crushed the Commanders. Daniels will miss his third game. Receiver Terry McLaurin has been out for a month. Edge rushers Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dorance Armstrong are gone for the season. Who knows what kind of impact receiver Noah Brown could make? He’s only been on the field long enough for seven targets and three catches. The Commanders’ projected starting offense for the season has not taken one snap together since training camp opened.

However, that’s part of the NFL drill. The Commanders had injuries last year, and they won games. Twelve of them in the regular season. Injuries can’t be the excuse.

“Everybody goes through it in this league,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “But we haven’t consistently been able to practice as a unit since training camp started. That’s where maybe some of the inconsistency is showing up.”

It seems like McLaurin started the process with the holdout, which rarely goes well for the player or the team.

“I think there’s correlation, but at the same time, I think what happened to me was just unfortunate,” McLaurin said. “It’s the irony of missing time. I’m sure that [the data] shows some sort of correlation, but for me, it was never something that was on my mind or a concern because I felt like I was in really good shape.”