While Washington fans may have been going back and forth on the decision of whether to tank or chase a playoff spot after each and every week this season, following a dominant win over the Dallas Cowboys last week, it seems clear that a majority of the fanbase is starting to place themselves firmly in the camp of ‘go for it all’ as we settle into the bye week.
With a 2-5 record, sitting a half-game out of the NFC East lead, it’s not crazy to think that Washington could find itself at the top of the division in a few weeks’ time, thanks in part to the fact that their stats are shaping up over the past couple of weeks, but also because of the schedule that is on their plates for the next four weeks.
WFT's next four opponents have a combined record of 7-19-1, with a combined point differential of -159.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) October 27, 2020
With games against the New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and Dallas Cowboys on the slate for the month of November, there is a reasonable expectation that Washington can win at least three of those games, and potentially grab a clean-sweep, heading into the month of December with a 6-5 record. When you look at their top opponent in the division, the Philadelphia Eagles, there’s a reasonable expectation that they could be 4-6-1 entering December, with games against the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks on the schedule to start the final month of the year.
Many people believe that the winner of the NFC East will need only 6-7 wins to grab a spot in the playoffs. It’s possible that Washington can get those wins in November alone, and then play with house money for the month of December. Waiting for them at the end of the year will be a trip to Philadelphia, where it’s looking more and more like we could have a win-and-get-in scenario between Washington and the Eagles.
None of that is possible, though, unless Washington can win the games they’re supposed to in the month of November.
