Commanders News: Terry McLaurin, Ron Rivera on QB change, Playoff odds

To say the Washington Commanders laid an egg against the Giants — their biggest regular season game in recent memory — would be an understatement. With two weeks to prepare for the game, the Commanders were out-coached and outplayed in all three phases en route to an embarrassing 20-12 home defeat.

Though a huge missed opportunity, Washington’s season isn’t over yet. Yes, their playoff odds dropped nearly 40% with the loss (roughly 80% to 40%), but a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Eve would put them in a good position with games against the Browns and Cowboys to close the campaign.

It would also help if the Lions, winners of six of their last seven, started losing. Unfortunately, the fighting Dan Campbell’s could be favored in their final three games: at Carolina, home vs the Bears, and at the Packers. Remember, Detroit has the head-to-head tiebreaker on the Commanders.

According to ESPN Analytics the Commanders still have a 60.1% chance to make the postseason, better than the Giants’ 56.8% odds. The Athletic’s metric, meanwhile, gives Washington 38.1% odds, and Football Outsiders algorithm had the team’s odds plummet to 28%; would’ve jumped to 86% with a victory.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for fans. Let’s get into other pertinent Commanders news, beginning with Terry McLaurin’s reaction to his illegal formation penalty that negated a touchdown that would’ve brought Washington within two points of the Giants late in the fourth quarter.

More Commanders News

• Watch a replay of McLaurin gesturing to the official to make sure he’s lined up correctly. McLaurin double-checked to confirm he was good, and the ref (according to McLaurin) obliged … only the official put his hand on his flag the second the interaction ended, waiting to throw it the second the ball was snapped. McLaurin is an attention-to-detail savant. He doesn’t commit penalties. Something was up here, and the NFL has to look into it.
• In other news, Ron Rivera confirmed he isn’t considering a quarterback change despite Taylor Heinicke’s struggles Sunday night. The head coach did reveal, however, that it’s something that must be considered if the offense — specifically the passing game — doesn’t get back on track.
• “It is something, though, that obviously is talked about out there and it is something, to be quite frank, I do have to think about at some point. But if we can get back on track and play the way that we’ve played and do things that we’ve done, then we’ll stick with where we are.”

NFL News

• Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is doubtful to play Saturday night vs the Cowboys after he suffered a sprain to his throwing shoulder in Week 15. The Eagles expect Hurts back for the playoffs, but it’s currently unclear if he’ll play again during the regular season. Gardner Minshew is Philly’s backup.
• Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson was booked in Bristol County Jail in relation to a nonviolent family issue, according to reports. Already out for the year with a knee injury, this news doesn’t impact Los Angeles’ playoff push, though it does open the door for speculation on his future with the team.
• The Giants can clinch a playoff berth this week. They need to beat the Vikings, plus have losses from Detroit and Seattle, or Detroit and Washington, or Seattle and Washington. Not likely, but not impossible, either.