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Redskins Playoff Chances: Looks Like A Three Team Race For Six Seed

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:12 a.m. ET

Fansided, Jacob Camenker/FanSided via Riggo's Rag

The Washington Redskins saw a couple of Wild Card scenarios change on Sunday afternoon. Which ones affect them the most?

The Washington Redskins were not in action on Sunday, but they had plenty at stake. The four other teams that were in the Wild Card competition were playing at some point during the day, and the afternoon slate would reveal a lot about the teams. That turned out to be true, as a couple of major things happened.

The first is that the Minnesota Vikings were absolutely crushed by the Indianapolis Colts. They fell by a final score of 34-6, and that essentially ended any hopes that the team had of sneaking in as the sixth seed. They fell to 7-7 and are now behind the Green Bay Packers, who emerged victorious on Sunday as well. It was a tough year for the Vikings, and they will have to go back to the drawing board this offseason.

The other big news was that the New York Giants defeated the Detroit Lions in the battle of the 9-4 teams. The Giants now have double digit wins, and that essentially locks them into the fifth seed. It seems highly unlikely that any other team will catch them, though it is absolutely possible. That means that the Packers, the Redskins, and the Green Bay Packers are going to be battling for that six seed, barring any other changes.

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According to FiveThirtyEight’s 2016 NFL Predictions, the Redskins have a 47 percent chance of making the playoffs. By comparison, the Buccaneers have a 49 percent chance while the Packers check in at 47 percent as well. That said, the result of the Buccaneers game tonight will likely swing those numbers. In the event that the Bucs would win, I would imagine that they would have a much higher chance of making it in. If they lose, the Packers and the Redskins will have a higher chance of making it in.

Of course, the important thing to remember about this race is that the Packers and the Buccaneers still have an outside chance to win their divisions. The Packers have an easier route to doing so, solely because of a Week 17 matchup they have against the Lions, current leaders of the NFC North. It is likely that if either the Falcons or the Lions were to fall out of the division driver’s seat, they would end up in a similar race with the Redskins.

The most important thing to remember is that the Redskins really need to win on Monday night to make it to the postseason. They are essentially in must win territory, and the game against the Panthers should be their focus, not all of the numbers about their likelihood of making the playoffs.