The Washington Commanders will have nothing to play for in their regular-season finale, but there's a chance that the Philadelphia Eagles won't, either.
If the Chicago Bears beat the Detroit Lions, the Eagles are locked into the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs. That game occurs at the same time as Washington's, so it's a safe bet that Nick Sirianni and his staff will be scoreboard-watching to see if they can afford to pull their starters early.
For the Commanders, on the other hand, an opportunity awaits. It's been a miserable campaign for Washington, but it can end on a high note.
Commanders can earn rivalry pride by closing out their season in style
Last time the Commanders met the Eagles — all of two weeks ago — it was a chippy affair that ended with a massive late-game brawl. Philadelphia went for a two-point conversion on a late touchdown for no reason other than they could, and the game during the ensuing fight.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is keeping his receipts. "If that's how they want to get down, it's all good. We play them again in two weeks," he said following the contest.
It's worth noting that, while the Commanders fell that night, they had been leading until Marcus Mariota injured his hand in the third quarter. Josh Johnson had to step in afterwards, and that's when everything broke apart.
The Eagles have been vulnerable this season. Their offense has gone through long dry spells of struggling to move the ball, let alone scoring points. Even in most of their wins, they haven't been the visibly dominant team they were a year ago. They are beatable, even if their first-team offense is on the field.
Win or lose, the Commanders must enter this game motivated and prepared. Ever since it became clear that playoffs are out of the question for Washington, it's been all about the effort. For the most part, Quinn has kept his locker room bought in, despite the massive disadvantages his decimated squad has faced on the field.
That resilience has never been more critical than in the last four games of Washington's campaign, all against divisional opponents. The Commanders beat the New York Giants on the road in Week 15. They went toe-to-toe with the Eagles until Mariota went down. Then, they fought back from a 21-3 deficit against the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day to give themselves a chance.
Week 18 will be the most crucial for Washington to prove it still has some fight left. After the Eagles ran up the score two weeks ago, it's personal for Quinn and his squad to come out and make a season-closing statement.
If the Commanders can defy the odds and pull out a fifth win, it will mean something. It will mean they never quit.