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The Washington Commanders have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season and currently have the inside track to earn one of the NFC's three wild card spots. The Commanders have fallen out of the race in the NFC East after a rough stretch coupled with a huge winning streak by the Philadelphia Eagles.
One of the reasons the Commanders haven't quite been able to keep up their pace from earlier in the season is that the offense has taken a slight dip. Jayden Daniels is still leading an effective unit, but the Commanders have gone from one of the most efficient units in the league to just a solidly good unit.
Part of that is that the running game has dried up a little, part of it is that teams have film on Daniels and part of it is probably the rib injury that the rookie quarterback was dealing with for a while. The Commanders' pass catching group is a little bit inconsistent as well, with a lack of reliable options outside of Terry McLaurin.
It looks like the Commanders will be able add another option to that room. Veteran wide receiver Jamison Crowder is nearing a return from injured reserve and the team has opened his 21-day practice window, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
Crowder has 432 career catches for almost 5,000 yards, so he would add a reliable option for the Commanders in the slot. He appeared in two games this season and caught one pass before going down with an injury.
Wild card gap closing for Commanders
About a month ago, the Commanders looked like they would be able to cruise into the playoffs either as the NFC East champion or as a wild card, as no other teams around the league were really challenging them for that spot. However, the race has heated up since the Commanders lost a wild one against the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago.
Now, the Commanders are occupying the last wild card spot in the NFC after the Eagles pulled away in the division. Washington currently sits at 8-5 and is just one game ahead of the surging Los Angeles Rams, who are coming off of a very impressive victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The Commanders are still strong favorites to make the postseason with the way they have been playing, but the Rams are now right on their heels. Washington seemed to get things back on track with a win over the Tennessee Titans before their bye week, but it must keep winning.
The schedule for the Commanders is thankfully a fairly soft one. They will play the Saints next week before a blockbuster date with the Eagles. After that, the Commanders will finish the season against the slumping Falcons and the banged-up Cowboys, so they should be able to get to 11 wins without too much trouble. Even though the Rams are chasing, 11-6 should safely get Washington into the playoffs.
