Predicting the Commanders next three games after blistering 5-1 stretch

1. Week 15 vs New York Giants (7-3)

No, the Commanders won’t enjoy a series sweep of the Giants for the second consecutive season, but they will follow their Week 13 defeat with a convincing win over their division rivals in Week 15 following a ridiculously late bye in Week 14; setting the stage for a box-office playoff race.

Look for Washington’s running game to set the tone in this rivalry game. The Giants’ pass defense is surprisingly stingy despite losing James Bradberry and Logan Ryan in the offseason, but their rushing defense just got gashed by Detroit to the tune of 160 yards and four (!) touchdowns on 4.3 YPC over 37 attempts.

In Week 10, they allowed Dameon Pierce to gallop for 94 yards on a whopping 5.5 yards per attempt. The Commanders just limited Pierce, who will finish top five in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, to EIGHT rushing yards on 10 carries.

The Giants just lost another receiver — rookie Wan’Dale Robinson to a torn ACL — and star cornerback Adoree Jackson is out 3-5 weeks with a sprained MCL, so he’s no guarantee to be back by the time Week 15 rolls around.

Assuming both teams go 1-1 in their next two games before Week 15, the Commanders and Giants will be 8-6 and 8-5 after this matchup.

Commanders 30, Giants 17

3 reasons Commanders should be taken seriously in NFC playoff race

The Commanders dominated the Texans on the road in Week 11. Now 6-5 for the season, Washington should be taken seriously in the NFC playoff picture.