Washington Commanders' season will be defined by make-or-break matchup against the Seahawks in Week 9

Commanders must beat the Seahawks to stay alive

Making it to the playoffs shouldn't be a thought right now, as the team has lost three games in a row, but that's always the ultimate goal. The Commanders are now 13th in the NFC, while the Seahawks are currently the fourth seed if the season ended today. A loss drops the Commanders' playoff chances to 5%, while a win is a big boost to 18%.

The Commanders also have one of the hardest remaining schedules with the Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, and the Philadelphia Eagles twice before the season ends. A loss to the Seahawks means the Commanders would likely have to beat five of the last six NFC teams to even have a shot at the playoffs. They've already lost to two potential wild-card teams in the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons, so they're playing from behind the rest of the season.

The Commanders need to prove themselves

Looking back at the Commanders' schedule so far, the only quality win came against the Los Angeles Chargers, and they need to continue to add quality wins to their record. We saw the potential of the defense in the first half against the Chiefs, but then they reverted to their old ways in the second half.

The Seahawks have been one of the better teams this season, and have a high-powered offense led by the league's top receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which doesn't bode well for the Commanders' defense. It will take a full team effort to come away with a win and earn the right to keep fighting for a playoff spot. A loss, however, will lead to shifting focus on how to repair the roster with the playoffs well out of reach.

The Commanders are 2-1 at home this season, and play drastically better when they aren't on the road. Maybe the Super Bowl Era uniforms this week will give them an extra boost to get back to their winning ways.