After trudging out to a 1-4 start, the Washington Commanders have turned around their season by winning six of the last eight games and now have a strong shot of making the playoffs with four games left.
What's more, three of their next opponents are in the NFC and vying for postseason berths as well. So, let's take a look at the playoff picture heading in Week 14.
Division leaders
No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles (11-1)
The Eagles are coming off a convincing win over the Tennessee Titans with help from A.J. Brown, who made eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns against his former team. The Eagles can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the New York Giants or losses by the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
Next opponents: Giants, Bears, Cowboys, Saints
Update: The Eagles defeated the GIants, 48-22, and secured a playoff spot.
No. 2 Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
Kirk Cousins and the Vikings survived another close matchup against Mike White and the New York Jets. They've traveled to Detroit to play the Lions, who have won four of their last five games. Despite having a much better record and the No. 2 seed in the conference, the Lions are favored in the matchup. The Vikings can clinch the NFC North with a win.
Next opponents: Lions, Colts, Giants, Packers, Bears
Update: The Vikings suffered a 34-23 loss to the Lions, bringing their record to 10-3.
No. 3 San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
The 49ers continued to roll last week with a win over the Miami Dolphins, who had their worst offensive performance in five games. The main story was the emergence of Brock Purdy after Jimmy Garoppolo injured his foot. The 49ers still have one of the best defenses in the league, but Purdy will need to be consistent enough to maintain their lead in the NFC West.
Next opponents: Buccaneers, Seahawks, Commanders, Raiders, Cardinals
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
Tom Brady pulled off another comeback after the New Orleans Saints went up by 13 points with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers took advantage of back-to-back three-and-outs forced by their defense and put together drives of 10 and 11 plays, both of which ended in touchdowns from Brady. The Buccaneers face a tough task against the 49ers this week, but a win would give them a solid lead in the NFC South race.
Next opponents: 49ers Bengals, Cardinals, Panthers, Falcons
Wild card
No. 5 Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
The Cowboys blew out the Indianapolis Colts with a monstrous 33-point fourth-quarter performance. Dak Prescott only had 170 passing yards, but he scored three touchdowns and received help from a dominant showing from the Cowboys' ground attack. Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott, Malik Davis and CeeDee Lamb combined for 220 yards and four touchdowns.
Next opponents: Texans, Jaguars, Eagles, Titans, Commanders
Update: The Cowboys went on a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter to hold off the Texans, 27-23.
No. 6 New York Giants (7-4-1)
The Giants could not hold onto a 20-13 lead against the Commanders and ended the critical Week 14 NFC East matchup with a tie -- the first for the franchise since 1997. Now, the Giants must face the Eagles before playing the Commanders again on primetime.
Update: With the loss to the Eagles, the Giants are on the playoff bubble and have been overtaken by the Commanders for the No. 7 seed, thanks to the Commanders' win over the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Next opponents: Eagles, Commanders, Vikings, Colts, Eagles
No. 7 Seattle Seahawks (7-4)
The Seahawks stopped their two-game skid with a last-minute touchdown pass from Geno Smith to DK Metcalf, putting them two games above .500 and into the No. 7 seed. In order to hold onto their postseason hopes for at least another week, they must pull off a win against the Carolina Panthers.
Update: The Seahawks suffered a 30-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers, bumping the Commanders up from the No. 7 seed to the No. 6 seed.
Next opponents: Panthers, 49ers, Chiefs, Jets, Rams
In the hunt
Washington Commanders (7-5-1)
The Commanders could not continue their winning streak in New York despite going up 10-0 in the first quarter. However, with some defensive adjustments in the second half and a gritty game-tying drive that ended with a touchdown by Jahan Dotson, Washington was able to end the game in a 20-20 tie. The primetime matchup at FedExField against the Giants will have serious playoff implications.
Next opponents: Giants, 49ers, Browns, Cowboys
Detroit Lions (5-7)
Green Bay Packers (4-8)
Atlanta Falcons (5-8)
