The Washington Commanders are headed to MetLife Stadium this weekend to face the New York Giants in what might be the most quietly pivotal game of their season - and not for the reasons you'd expect in December.
This Week 15 matchup kicks off a four-game stretch of NFC East showdowns to close out the regular season. On paper, it’s the final three - two against the Eagles and one against the Cowboys - that should’ve defined Washington’s playoff hopes.
But with the Commanders sitting at 3-10 and the Giants at 2-11, the stakes have shifted. This isn’t about playoff positioning anymore.
It’s about draft positioning - and the long-term future of the franchise.
A Win… Even in a Loss?
Let’s call it like it is: Sunday’s game presents a strange kind of win-win scenario for Washington. Either they snap their eight-game losing streak and finally give their locker room something to rally around, or they fall to 3-11 and inch closer to a top-three pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
If the Commanders lose, they’d be tied with the Giants at 3-11, having split the season series after winning the first matchup back in Week 1. The tiebreaker would then fall to strength of schedule - and that’s where things could work in Washington’s favor. Dan Quinn’s team currently holds the edge there, meaning a loss could actually push them ahead of the Giants in the draft order.
That’s significant. The Giants currently hold the No. 1 overall pick, but a Washington loss could flip that script and vault the Commanders into serious contention for one of the top slots. They’d still trail the two-win Raiders and Titans - unless either of those teams pull off an upset - but Washington could realistically end Sunday inside the top five.
The Reality Check
Let’s be clear: No team wants to lose. And no locker room is built to root for it. The Commanders are trying to build something under Dan Quinn, and stacking losses - especially to a division rival that just fired its head coach - doesn’t help morale or culture.
A loss would also mark their ninth straight defeat, which would give them the dubious distinction of the longest losing streak in NFL history by a team that played in a conference championship the year before. That’s not exactly the kind of record you want to hang your hat on.
There’s still value in finishing strong. Young players need reps.
Coaches need momentum. And even in a lost season, there’s something to be said for setting a tone heading into the offseason.
A win over the Giants wouldn’t erase the pain of the past two months, but it would at least offer a flicker of progress.
Big Picture Thinking
That said, there’s a silver lining if things go south. This is one of those rare games where the outcome - win or lose - can be spun as a positive.
If they win, they finally stop the bleeding. If they lose, they improve their draft outlook and potentially position themselves for a transformative offseason.
It’s not the first time Washington has found itself in this kind of situation. Back in 2019, they faced the Giants late in the season and lost, which helped them secure the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft instead of No.
- That pick turned into Chase Young.
Say what you will about how things have played out since, but it was the right call at the time.
Of course, draft position doesn’t guarantee success. Moving ahead of the Giants doesn’t mean Washington will automatically land the better player.
That part of the equation plays out in April - and in the years that follow. But for now, there’s real value in being in position to make those kinds of decisions.
No Bad Outcomes
So here’s the bottom line: Sunday isn’t about moral victories or scoreboard watching. It’s about the future. Whether the Commanders walk out of MetLife with a rare win or take another hit in the standings, they’re playing a game that matters - just not in the way we thought it would back in September.
In a season that’s gone off the rails, this is one of those rare moments where there’s no bad outcome. Either Washington finally gets back in the win column, or they take one more step toward reshaping their future. And for a team stuck in the middle of a rebuild, that’s a position you don’t mind being in.