Washington Football Team's Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 14

Does the Washington Football Team have the rest of the NFL's attention now? It should after it became the first team to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, notching a 23-17 win at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Monday night.

That victory also has Washington in the thick of the playoff hunt in the NFC. At 5-7, there's no team with a better record in the NFC East. However, the New York Giants are also 5-7, and they're in first place because they own the tiebreaker with Washington after notching a pair of wins over their division rival in Weeks 6 and 9.

Even if Washington doesn't win the NFC East crown, there's still a chance it could end up with a wild-card berth (which is strange to think about, considering the NFC East has been so down this year that it seemed assured only one team from the division would be heading to the postseason). Washington is only one game behind the Minnesota Vikings, who are currently the No. 7 seed, but there are a lot of other teams also in the mix.

This week, Washington will look to extend its winning streak to four games when it goes on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. It's possible that Washington could be alone in first place in the NFC East by the end of the weekend, so it's important it keeps winning.

But Washington needs help if it's going to reach the postseason. Here's a look at the current NFC playoff picture, followed by a breakdown of other results that Washington fans should be rooting for in Week 14.

NFC Playoff Picture

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Division Leaders

1. New Orleans Saints (10-2, clinched playoff berth)

2. Green Bay Packers (9-3)

3. Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

4. New York Giants (5-7)

Wild-Card Leaders

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-4)

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

7. Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

In the Hunt

8. Arizona Cardinals (6-6)

9. Chicago Bears (5-7)

10. Detroit Lions (5-7)

11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7)

12. Washington Football Team (5-7)

13. Atlanta Falcons (4-8)

14. Carolina Panthers (4-8)

15. Philadelphia Eagles (3-8-1)

16. Dallas Cowboys (3-9)

Cardinals at Giants

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If Washington is going to win its first NFC East title since 2015, it needs to win more games than New York over the final four weeks of the regular season. But the Giants have also been playing well of late, entering their Sunday afternoon matchup against the Cardinals on a four-game winning streak (after opening the year 1-7).

Even though Arizona is in the NFC wild-card hunt (it's the first team out at 6-6), Washington fans should be rooting for it to win this week. Washington's easiest path to the playoffs is by winning the division, and that's not going to happen if New York runs the table the rest of the way.

The Giants could be getting starting quarterback Daniel Jones back this week. He's been questionable after missing their Week 13 win over the Seahawks with a hamstring injury. If he doesn't play, it will again be former Washington quarterback Colt McCoy under center for New York.

New York has tough matchups the next two weeks (Week 15 vs. Cleveland, Week 16 at Baltimore), so it wouldn't spell the end of Washington's NFC East title hopes if the Giants win. Still, the only way that Washington can be in first place at the end of Week 14 is if the Cardinals earn the victory.

Rooting interest: Cardinals

Vikings at Buccaneers

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So, say the Giants beat the Cardinals and keep their NFC East lead. Then, it'll be time for Washington fans to mostly root against the teams ahead of it in the wild-card race.

The Buccaneers (7-5) and Vikings (6-6) are the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds, respectively. And while a Tampa Bay loss could make for a tighter seeding race, Washington fans should be wanting Minnesota to lose, which would help open the door for teams outside a playoff berth to get more into the mix.

After a 1-5 start, former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins has helped the Vikings make a push for the playoffs, as they've won five of their past six games. They'll face a challenge on Sunday in the Buccaneers, who need a win to get back on track after losing three of their past four games.

If Minnesota loses, it would fall to 6-7, and that could mean Washington may have the same record as the team in the No. 7 spot (if it wins and Arizona also loses).

Rooting interest: Buccaneers

Texans at Bears

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The Bears got off to a hot start this season, winning five of their first six games. But entering Sunday's game against the Texans, they're on a six-game losing streak that has dropped them to 5-7 and out of a playoff spot.

Still, Chicago remains in the mix for a wild-card berth. With six NFC teams at either 6-6 or 5-7, it's still possible the Bears could make a playoff push, especially if they win their next three games against a pair of beatable opponents (the 4-8 Texans and the 1-11 Jaguars) and the Vikings.

Washington fans don't need to think hard about this one—cheer for Houston and hope that Chicago's recent struggles keep moving it further from playoff contention.

Rooting interest: Texans

Packers at Lions

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Like the NFC North-rival Bears, the Lions are 5-7 and remain in the wild-card hunt. However, Detroit hasn't been struggling quite as much as Chicago in recent weeks. The Lions have won two of their past four games (Week 10 vs. Washington and Week 13 at Chicago) to stay in the playoff race.

Detroit has a challenging schedule down the stretch, though, beginning with Sunday's matchup against Green Bay. After that, the Lions will take on the Titans, Buccaneers and Vikings. So, all four of their remaining opponents are teams that would currently be in the playoffs.

It's going to be tough for Detroit to make it to the postseason. Still, Washington fans need to cheer for the Lions' opponents to take care of business the next four weeks.

Rooting interest: Packers

Teams Currently Behind Washington

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

While things are already close in both the NFC East and NFC wild-card races, there's always the possibility that both could get even more competitive. There are teams behind Washington that are still not mathematically eliminated and could creep closer to sneaking into the playoffs themselves.

The Eagles (3-8-1) and Cowboys (3-9) are still alive in both the NFC East and NFC wild-card races. The Falcons (4-8) and Panthers (4-8) aren't eliminated from the wild-card hunt, either, although both would have to have a comeback even more impressive than Washington to reach the postseason.

So, Philadelphia (vs. New Orleans), Dallas (at Cincinnati), Atlanta (at Chargers) and Carolina (vs. Denver) losses could all end up helping Washington in its push for a playoff berth down the stretch.

Rooting interest: Against Eagles, Cowboys, Falcons and Panthers