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Washington Redskins Favored To Make The Playoffs By FiveThirtyEight

By Jacob Camenker

Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Redskins won 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Redskins won 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Redskins are inching closer and closer to securing a playoff spot. They have the inside edge to make it in.

The Washington Redskins have been getting a lot of good news about their playoff chances in the past few days. After being pushed to the brink by the Carolina Panthers, the Redskins have made a big push to get themselves a win-and-in game in Week 17. Their efforts have rewarded them, and it looks like they have a strong chance of making the field.

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According to ESPN’s FiveThirtyEight and their NFL Predictions, the Redskins have a real chance to make the playoffs. Their percent chance of making the postseason was bumped to 58 percent after their victory over the Bears and losses by the Buccaneers and Lions. They have a 59 percent chance of beating the New York Giants, per the predictions, and the only thing bumping them down to 58 percent overall is the slim possibility of a tie between Detroit and Green Bay.

This is excellent news for the Redskins. As has been said since the Lions loss, this week’s game is essentially a win-and-in for the Redskins. The tie between Detroit and Green Bay would be the only thing that could possibly knock them out if they defeat the Giants.

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Of course, if the Redskins are to make the postseason, they will be taking on the third seed in the NFC. The Redskins can only be the sixth seed, but there are a multitude of teams they could end up facing.

Their most likely opponent is the Seattle Seahawks, and that is not great news for the team. The Seahawks lost their opportunity to control their own destiny with their loss last week to the Arizona Cardinals, and thus are behind the Atlanta Falcons for the race for the No. 2 seed. Atlanta has a 78 percent chance of claiming that, as they can clinch with a victory over the New Orleans Saints.

If the Redskins end up facing the Seahawks, they could have some trouble. The Seahawks are a very tough team to face at their home, and they have one of the best defenses in the league. If any defensive line and backfield could give the Redskins trouble, it would be Seattle. That said, their offense can be touch and go, but Russell Wilson would probably torch the secondary. For this reason, the Redskins should be afraid of the Seahawks.

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If the team could somehow end up playing the Packers or the Lions in the first round, that would be much better. Still, the Redskins are not even guaranteed to beat the Giants in Week 17, so perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. At the end of the day, the numbers say that the Redskins are favored. That should be good news for the team and it also means that they absolutely should win on Sunday.

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