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The Washington Commanders entered Saturday's contest with a prime opportunity to move one step closer to a playoff berth this season. Unfortunately, they ran into the red-hot San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers have dealt with two quarterback losses this year and are starting Mr. Irrelevant from the 2022 NFL Draft. Even so, they haven't skipped a beat. They came in and dominated the Commanders, putting Washington's playoff hopes in a very precarious position.
The 49ers, as they have done many times this season, ran their gameplan to almost perfection and took home a 37-20 victory. They have already clinched the NFC West, but the Commanders are now hanging on for dear life.
How detrimental was this loss?
Playoff scenarios for Washington: Are the Commanders out of the playoffs?
This was the second-straight loss for the Washington Commanders. They lost last week in frustrating fashion to the New York Giants, who are currently ahead of them in the standings.
Despite the loss, the Commanders are not out of the playoffs. In fact, if the season were to end today, they'd make it in as the seventh seed in the NFC.
Their current record is 7-7-1, which barely puts them above the 7-8 Detroit Lions and the 7-8 Seattle Seahawks. Should the Green Bay Packers win their Week 16 matchup, they would also be 7-8 and ever so slightly behind the Commanders.
The final playoff spot will be hotly contested, but Washington currently controls their own destiny. If they lose another game, though, they'll begin to need help from other teams.
Washington Commanders' schedule after Week 16
Following a disappointing loss to the 49ers, the Washington Commanders still have the playoffs in sight. With two games remaining, all they need to do is win out.
Their next opponent is the 6-9 Cleveland Browns. Their final opponent this year is the currently 10-4 Dallas Cowboys, who are losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Should they lose that game, they would be locked into a wild card spot and by Week 18, they might be locked into the fifth seed and not have much to play for.
That bodes well for the Commanders, who are beginning to feel the pressure from those other teams.
