In 2001, an Indianapolis television reporter asked then Colts head coach Jim Mora, Sr., about the playoffs after a 40-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Colts were reeling after losing six out of eight games following a 2-0 start. “Playoffs?!” The tone of Mora’s voice, his inflection and that word now paraphrased from the actual quote has been one of the most used lines in football lore—particularly this time of year. It’s when a football team has a mathematical chance for the playoffs but isn’t playing like one.
Enter the New Orleans Saints, Mora’s previous tenure as a head coach before the Colts. The Washington Commanders travel to Caesars Superdome in New Orleans this Sunday with the hopes of improving their record to 9-5. For the past 28 years, the Commanders have never had a record as good as this one after 13 games. It puts them at the seventh seed. Head coach Dan Quinn is telling players that they will take it one game at a time but the team is likely two wins away from the…
“Playoffs?!”
The Commanders are three games out of first place so the team would only be the sixth or seventh seed wild card team and will likely play the Philadelphia Eagles or an NFC West team on the road if they made it in.
The Saints are only two games behind the first place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South and one game behind the second place Atlanta Falcons. The Saints will play the Buccaneers in the last game of the season. After coming off a 14-11 win against the N.Y. Giants last Sunday, they have a mathematical chance to make the…
“Playoffs?!”
The chances are slim at best for the Saints. Derek Carr is likely out for the season following a fractured hand during the Giants game. One of two unproven backup quarterbacks, Jake Haener or rookie Spencer Rattle—will start in Carr’s place on Sunday against the Commanders. The Saints will also have to play their next game against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay on Monday Night Football. At 9-4, the Packers are currently the sixth seed, a game in front of the Commanders for the…
“Playoffs?!”
The Saints suffered a slew of season ending injuries this year. Wide receiver Rasheed Shahid, Taysom Hill, a tight end who could have backed up Derek Carr as QB, and wide receiver Chris Olave, who suffered a concussion against the Carolina Panthers in week nine but could still return all contributed to a Saints downfall and the firing of head coach Dennis Allen on November 4, following the 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers. But losing Carr to a fractured hand may be the final blow for the Saints if the Commanders defeat the Saints on Sunday. Earlier this season, Carr suffered an oblique injury on a Monday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the third consecutive loss for the Saints after their 2-0 start. Four consecutive losses later and the Saints were on a seven-game slide that ended with a 20-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons at home on November 10—six days after special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over as interim head coach of the team. Since then, the Saints are 2-1, beating the Cleveland Browns 35-14 at home, losing at home to the Los Angeles Rams, 21-14, and last week’s win against the N.Y. Giants.
The Washington Commanders have been playing above expectations this season with a new general manager, head coach, new offensive and defensive coordinators and mostly a whole new group of players. Their wins have generally come against teams unlikely to make the post-season, including a miracle win against the Chicago Bears. However, the wins like last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans have been commanding victories and keep the Commanders as the seventh seed.
Expectations have grown precipitously this season amongst the team and its fans and the Commanders are heavily favored to defeat the Saints this Sunday. If they improved to 9-5 with three games remaining, a wild card spot is likely with a win against the Philadelphia Eagles or the Atlanta Falcons at home or the Dallas Cowboys on the road.
Former Saints all-pro cornerback Marshon Lattimore may show up in his first game as a Washington Commander or it could be against the Eagles. Depending on his health and play in December and into January, he could be a spark in the defense that might take the Commanders to another level. But the philosophy continues to be one game at a time. The Commanders are still working to beat the elite teams and will need to do that before they can ever be considered an elite team for the playoffs.
The post Will Washington Rise to the Call for Playoffs? appeared first on Marylandsportsblog.com.