Though he felt "weird" after his first career tie, Commanders team captain Jon Allen did not take much time to dwell following Washington's Week 13 result and quickly got his mind focused on the rematch at home against the New York Giants.
"This game that we're gonna play here in two weeks means double," Allen told reporters in locker room after Sunday' game at MetLife.
The 20-20 tie in the first game against the Giants ramps up the playoff stakes for Washington's home stand against New York. Adding to that intensity is the fact that, yesterday, the NFL flexed the divisional game to Sunday Night Football. The Burgundy & Gold is commanding the spotlight for this game and now more than ever this season, it needs fans to command the stands. Allen is going to personally help with that push.
"I'm gonna provide as many free tickets as I can," the defensive tackle said. "We need everybody there."
This divisional game has huge postseason implications for the Commanders. A win, according to the New York Tims' playoff calculator, would bump the Commanders' chances of making the playoffs from 66% to 90%. A loss, however, would knock their chances down to 36%.
A win would also help the Commanders remain in control of their postseason hopes. They would need to win two of the next three matchups, ideally the road game against the San Fransisco 49ers and home finale against the Dallas Cowboys. Both would be difficult tasks, but Washington's winning formula, which involves running the ball, extending drives and relying on its dominant defense, has worked well over the past two months.
Washington does have one advantage; the team is currently on its bye week, which not only gives them time to recover, but it also provides extra time to prepare for the rematch. The Giants, meanwhile, must prepare to take on the Philadelphia Eagles before traveling to FedExField the following week.
Still, as Sunday's game showed, the teams are evenly matched. Washington will need as many extra boosts as possible, and having Burgundy & Gold fans pack FedExField can be a difference-maker on Saturday, Dec. 18.
"I'm going to give away 100, 200 tickets, however many it takes to get that stadium sold out," Allen said. "We need the fans at that one. This is a huge game; our season is on the line. We need everybody. This game could be the season. We need full support," Allen said. "We need that stadium rockin'."
All the components, from playoff implications to a battle between historic rivals in one of, if not the best division in football in primetime, are there to make up an epic showdown.
So, take Allen's advice and make sure to witness the matchup in person. Join in the home field advantage and get your tickets to our game against the Giants at FedExField on Saturday, Dec 18. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
