For Washington Football Team, win-and-in is a familiar situation

With one game remaining in the 2020 NFL season, the Washington Football Team is in the driver’s seat for their first playoff berth since 2015.

The scenario for Washington is simple: Win on Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Football Team are NFC East champions. Lose, and Washington is eliminated from the playoffs.

The playoff scenario is a familiar one for Washington. This is the third time in the last decade that Washington has controlled its own playoff destiny heading into the final week of the season.

Sunday’s road game will pit Washington against an Eagles team that was eliminated from postseason contention following a 37-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. At 4-10-1, the Eagles are the only NFC East team eliminated from the division race. Washington came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Eagles in Week 1.

Sunday’s matchup draws comparisons to 2016, the last time Washington played in a “win-and-in” Week 17 game. In 2016, Washington entered Week 17 with an 8-6-1 record, and needed to beat the New York Giants to secure the final NFC wild card spot. At 10-5, the Giants had already clinched the first wild card and, like the 2020 Eagles, essentially had nothing to play for.

Washington fans and players alike left FedExField disappointed, as the Giants defeated Washington 19-10. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions while the Giants left their starters in for the entire game.

Washington tied the game on a Cousins pass to Jordan Reed, but the Giants answered with a field goal followed by a fumble returned for a touchdown as the clock expired. The Giants finished the season 11-5 and would lose to the NFC North champion Green Bay Packers the following week.

The last time the Washington Football Team played on Sunday Night Football in Week 17 was in 2012. Game 256 that year decided the NFC East title in a winner-take-all matchup with the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField. Unlike 2016 or 2020, the Dallas Cowboys had everything to play for, as a victory would have given the Cowboys the division title.

Rookie sensations Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris lit up the scoreboard on the ground, rushing for four total touchdowns, leading Washington to a 28-18 victory. Morris’ three touchdowns and 200 rushing yards are still career-highs for the former sixth-round draft pick.

The win capped off a seven-game win streak and gave the franchise its first NFC East title since 1999. Washington would add another division title in 2015, this time clinching one week early after a Saturday night win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With a chance to clinch a third division title in nine seasons on Sunday night, the Washington Football Team enters the game with some roster drama. With former starter Dwayne Haskins no longer on the team after a drama-filled week, Washington will look to either Alex Smith or Taylor Heinicke to help seal the division crown. In addition, star wide receiver Terry McLaurin is still recovering from an ankle injury that saw him miss the Panthers game on Sunday.

While the roster has almost completely turned over since the last winner-take-all Week 17 game in 2016, Washington fans find themselves in a familiar position. Like 2016, Washington finds itself playing an opponent with nothing to gain, but one that can still be dangerous. Rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts has proven to be a threat on the ground and through the air in his two starts, although the Cowboys forced three Hurts turnovers last week.

Like 2012, this year’s Washington team has exceeded mid-season expectations to find itself in a Week 17 primetime game. The 2012 team started out 3-6 before rattling off seven straight victories to clinch a playoff berth. This season, Washington revived its playoff hopes with a four-game winning streak, kicked off by a home win against the Cincinnati Bengals and a dominating Thanksgiving victory against Dallas.

Despite issues both on and off the field, head coach Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team have exceeded expectations to find themselves one win away from hosting a postseason game. The NFC East title will come down to how Washington executes in the final game of the NFL regular season.