With last week's dramatic overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Washington Commanders have officially clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Commanders have also secured the No. 2 position in the division, with the Philadelphia Eagles winning the NFC East crown.
Week 18 holds playoff-seeding implications for Washington. Right now, the Commanders hold the No. 6 playoff spot and would face off against the Los Angeles Rams. A Sunday loss to the Dallas Cowboys would move Washington to the No. 7 spot, which would pit them against the Eagles.
Washington has lost six of seven of their last matchups against Dallas, including the Week 12 matchup at Northwest Stadium. The Commanders, however, will be facing a team that will be without wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who the Cowboys announced would not play the rest of the season. It also remains to be seen whether quarterback Cooper Rush, who has been leading the team since Dak Prescott's injury, or third-string quarterback Trey Lance will start, as head coach Mike McCarthy has been reluctant to name the starter; the Commanders will likely prepare to see both.
Washington is pretty banged up heading to AT&T Stadium, so its main priority is staying healthy as they will need longevity for the postseason.
As the Commanders head to Dallas for their last regular-season matchup, let's look around the rest of the division.
Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
With their spot in the playoffs clinched and a finish atop the division imminent, the Eagles will rest most of their starters in their final division matchup of the year against the New York Giants. Depending on Week 18 results, Philadelphia will host either the Green Bay Packers or Commanders in the wild card round.
The team has already announced running back Saquon Barkley will not play, which keeps Eric Dickerson's all-time rushing record safe. Both quarterback Jalen Hurts and quarterback Kenny Pickett have yet to practice this week, so it looks like third-string quarterback Tanner McKee or fourth-stringer Ian Book will get the start. McKee entered the Eagles' Week 17 matchup vs. the Cowboys after Pickett went down with injury. He completed three of his four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns in Philadelphia's dismantling of Dallas, 41-7.
Even if the Eagles lose this game, there's really no consequence other than their record dropping to 13-4. Additionally, the Giants are already knocked out of the playoffs and don't have much to play for. A New York loss would actually benefit the Giants' position in the 2025 NFL Draft, which dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 after the team's Week 17 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders during their week of practice to prepare for the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
The Cowboys' two-game win streak came to an end Week 17 as they fell to the Eagles on the road. Quarterback Cooper Rush didn't have his best showing, completing just over 50% of his 28 passes for 147 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Dallas has struggled to compete all season, yet it was able to pull out a Week 12 win over the Commanders at Northwest Stadium.
The Cowboys hope to play spoiler to the Commanders again in the regular-season finale, this time on home turf. Dallas has been eliminated from the playoffs, although a chance to knock Washington into the seventh seed to face the Eagles is something to play for.
Without Lamb on the field and the starting quarterback a mystery, the Cowboys will surely have their hands full in trying to stop linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Offensively, quarterback Jayden Daniels has been incredible at moving the ball downfield and capitalizing on game-winning moments the past two weeks, although it can be argued he's been doing it the entire season.
It helps Dallas, however, that Washington is banged up. With the thoughts of postseason longevity in the back of the Commanders' minds, they could prioritize health over seeding if it comes down to it.
New York Giants (3-13)
The Giants ended an eight-game losing skid in Week 17, winning their first game since Week 5. The 45-33 victory knocked the Colts out of the playoffs, although at the cost of the Giants' No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft; the win prompted New York to move down to the No. 3 spot, pushing the New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans ahead of itself.
Quarterback Drew Lock had an incredible game, throwing for 309 yards and four touchdowns to notch a 74% completion rating. Lock spread the ball out to find wide receiver Malik Nabers in the end zone twice, as well as wide receivers Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson for one score each. The Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy each reached 1,000 yards for the season against Indianapolis, making them the third rookie duo in franchise history to record the milestone.
New York has no stake in its regular-season finale against Philadelphia given they have already been eliminated from the postseason and the Eagles are locked into the No. 2 spot. The Giants will face Philadelphia's backups, giving them a better chance to beat the divisional rival. A Giants' win, however, could hurt New York and move them further down in the Draft; a loss likely wouldn't change their position unless the Patriots or Titans won their Week 18 matchups, in which case they could move back up.
