Commanders excited for 'playoff-like atmosphere' vs. Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders still have four games left in the 2022 regular season, but the club’s postseason chances will be significantly swayed one way or another following Sunday night’s tilt against the New York Giants.
Entering Week 15, the Commanders (7-5-1) currently hold a 73% chance to make the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight. A victory over the Giants (7-5-1) on Sunday Night Football boosts Washington’s postseason odds to 91%. A loss to Big Blue, however, drops the Commanders’ hopes of playing meaningful mid-January football to 34%. The Giants also have similar odds based on how Sunday’s game goes.
As the numbers show, there’s a lot on the line, obviously, when these two teams meet in Week 15. There’s a reason the NFL moved Commanders-Giants to Sunday Night Football, the league’s most optimal primetime window.
“This is the most important game we’re going to play because it’s the one we’re about to play,” head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday. “That’s the focus. That’s the way we’re going to approach it.”
Although the playoffs are still over a month away, Sunday night’s matchup carries similar importance. Commanders players understand what’s at stake, with several looking forward to the opportunity in front of them.
“We’ve been in some big-time games, some close games. It’s a division game, people are pumped up for it,” quarterback Taylor Heinicke said. “We know what’s ahead of us. We know we need to win this game; it’ll help us tremendously in the playoff race. Guys are excited for it and they’ve been yearning for this moment for a while now. … I think we’re ready for it.”
“We love the game, man,” safety Darrick Forrest added. “It’s nothing for us to go out there and play hard, especially when it’s our moment, our shot for us to go show the world what we can do. We love that.”
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For years, Washington struggled in primetime games. But upon Rivera’s arrival three years ago, the club has been widely more successful in such matchups.
In 2020, the Commanders won both their primetime games: a Thanksgiving thumping over Dallas on the road and a Week 17 win in Philadelphia to clinch the NFC East. Last year, Washington went 2-1 in national audience contests, winning both of their home primetime games.
That success has carried over to this season, as the Commanders are 2-0 in primetime clashes in 2022, including Washington’s most impressive victory of the year: a road win over the previously-undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.
Under Rivera, the Commanders have played some of their best football on the biggest stage. That’s not a coincidence, either.
“Primetime games, everybody is watching,” star receiver Terry McLaurin said. “That gives people a little bit more juice. You want to put your best product on the field in those primetime games.”
“[These] are the games you dream of as a kid,” Heinicke added. “Playing in front of everybody, the whole world is watching. It’s an opportunity to showcase, as a team, what you got. Guys get really excited for that.”
With a lot at stake for Sunday’s game, it’d be easy for Commanders players to get caught up in the build-up to the contest. McLaurin is doing whatever he can to prevent those distractions from entering the building.
“There are a lot of opportunities to get distracted in a big-week game,” McLaurin said. “A lot is riding on the game: playoff seeding, the crowd, primetime. You’ve got to really have a routine that you can settle into and make that your focus throughout the week, to make sure you don’t look over any details or anything necessary for you to be successful on Sunday.”
Rivera made it clear that this Sunday’s game against the Giants is a little different than the Eagles matchup earlier this season, largely because the Commanders are favored in the contest. Nobody expected them to knock off Philadelphia a few weeks ago, minus those in the building in Ashburn.
Now, Washington is expected to win. And it’s up to the club to take care of business.
“We have to be able to handle that success,” Rivera said. “We have to be able to handle the situation and circumstances we’ve put ourselves into.”
For several years, FedEx Field has been a venue where opposing fans have little issue filling seats. Heinicke said Wednesday that last year’s Thursday night home game against the Giants felt split 50-50 between fans of both teams. Whenever the Eagles and Cowboys play in Washington, several of their fans travel, too.
With Sunday’s game against the Giants being such an important contest, multiple Commanders players — headlined by Jonathan Allen and Charles Leno — are giving away tickets in an effort to get Commanders fans to pack the stadium.
“I want to see a packed house with a lot of burgundy and gold out there,” Leno said. “I just want to see a playoff-electric environment.”
Rivera also had a message to Commanders fans: show up and make a difference.
“We need them to be there, be loud and be supportive,” the head coach said. “We’ve worked to try and become relevant. We’ve worked to get their focus and attention back on us. To have the fan support out there, it would be awesome.”
Regardless of how the attendance is split between Commanders and Giants supporters, Sunday evening’s game will undoubtedly feel like a playoff game. With the season essentially on the line, the club is looking forward to embracing the opportunity ahead.
“I think it’s going to be a playoff-like atmosphere,” McLaurin said. “With this being similar to a playoff game, with a division game on the line, I think the fans are going to be really excited. The best way we can perform is to try and win the football game. That continues the momentum I feel like we have. I’m looking forward to hearing the chants and seeing what a playoff game could kind of feel like around here. I never experienced that.”
