Where do the Commanders stand in the NFL power rankings after Week 14?

After dominating their bye week – i.e., moving up to sixth place in the NFC – they very much look like a team that could reach 10 victories. And Sunday could mark the 2022 debut for DE Chase Young.

Washington is on a bye. They return with a home date with the New York Giants.

It’s not surprising that defense is Washington’s best unit; it ranks among the top 10 in multiple key categories, including third downs (third), yards per game (fourth) and scoring (eighth). Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne have combined for 36 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Offensively, the Commanders have issues, ranking 25th or worse in scoring, third downs and yards per play. So, again, no surprise. But special teams is surprising. Punter Tress Way ranks seventh in net punting and first in punts placed inside the 20. The return game, though, has not produced — 15th on kickoffs; 21st on punts — and that drags the Commanders’ ranking down.

It’s all in front of the Commanders now. The Giants were pasted by the NFC-leading Eagles in Week 14, putting Washington in position to leave New York in its dust in the wild-card standings with a win on Sunday night at FedExField. The Commanders officially made a depth-chart change ahead of the pivotal showdown, activating erstwhile starting QB Carson Wentz from injured reserve to serve as Taylor Heinicke’s backup. Said Ron Rivera of the QB pecking order: “I feel comfortable with Taylor.” The decision was a no-brainer for the head coach. Heinicke is a popular player, both in the locker room and amongst the fanbase. Wentz can’t be thrilled to lose his job because of injury, but his understudy took an opportunity and ran with it. That’s football.

The Washington Commanders have exceeded expectations this season. At 7-5-1, they are in the thick of the wild-card chase in the NFC. After starting the season 1-4, they have lost just once in their late eight games.

Much of the team’s success has been credited to quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who took over under center when Carson Wentz got hurt and held on to the job even once Wentz was healthy. But while speaking with reporters, Heinicke made it clear that the team’s trio of wide receivers (Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and rookie Jahan Dotson) have made life easy for him.

“Those guys are huge playmakers, and you continue to see it every week,” Heinicke said, “so the more that I can get them the ball, let them do their thing, the better we’ll be. You see what Curtis does all the time with the ball in his hands. Terry is always getting open and making big plays. So the more you can give them opportunities and get the ball in their hands, I think the better this team is going to be.”

With that said, making the postseason isn’t going to be easy for Washington. Beginning next week against a Giants team Washington tied in Week 13, the stretch run for the Commanders contains three games against teams with winning records—including a home date in Week 18 against the Cowboys that could carry enormous stakes.

“A late bye week couldn’t have been positioned better for the Commanders,” Sobleski said. “Without stepping onto the field, Washington benefited greatly from Sunday’s outcomes. The 7-5-1 squad leapfrogged the fading New York Giants in the NFC East and the overall playoff picture. Ron Rivera’s club won’t catch up with the Philadelphia Eagles or the Dallas Cowboys, but it can do some damage on the bottom end of the bracket. Washington has lost only once in its last eight games. The team now has an identity on offense by riding its new workhorse, Brian Robinson Jr. Plus, the defensive line could receive a significant boost with Chase Young’s return to the lineup at any point before the regular season ends. Their approach may not be pretty, but the Commanders are not a team others want to face at the moment. “

The Commanders’ chances of making the postseason could clear 90 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight, if they just handle business as a 3.5-point home favorite over the Giants in Week 15. If it feels like you just saw this game, you’re right: Washington and the Giants tied two weeks ago, and the Commanders were off last week, giving Ron Rivera’s team an edge in preparation and rest for this rematch.

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady 

OK, bear with us. Obviously, this is premised on Washington securing new ownership very quickly. Brady has seen too much to consider playing for Daniel Snyder. But if he’s given carte blanche by a nouveau riche regime, this is a roster not entirely dissimilar to the one he joined in Tampa in 2020 with a good group of young receivers and a playoff-caliber defense.

All right, it’s almost definitely not going to happen, but finding the right landing spot for Brady, if he chooses to keep playing and decides to leave Tampa, is tough. Las Vegas seems like the obvious answer given its flirtation with him last time around and the presence of Josh McDaniels, but it’s a little far from family and Davante Adams’ whole thing was wanting to play with Derek Carr. We assume Brady would want a ready-to-win roster, ideally in warm weather or somewhere from which he can travel easily to Florida. Here’s a scientific breakdown of the contenders.

The Commanders play the Giants on Sunday night and it’s practically a playoff game. The winner will have a huge edge to get an NFC wild-card spot. The Commanders have to feel good about their chances to win that home game, especially off a bye.

They’re built to make it to the playoffs, and to make some noise when they get there.

They come off their bye with a home game against a Giants team they tied two weeks ago. Win that one, and they will have a great shot to be a playoff team.