This is not an opinion: The Washington Football Team is not a good enough team to make the playoffs.
However, this is 2020, weird things are happening all the time, and so Washington might be good enough to be a playoff team.
Why? The NFC East is a combined 10-26-1. And most of those wins are against other NFC East teams.
So it shouldn’t come as too big a surprise that Ron Rivera, even after a 30-27 loss to the Detroit Lions, are still technically in the hunt for a playoff-berth at 2-7 while simultaneously being in position for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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And what’s worse (or better depending upon your outlook on the team), Rivera’s squad has a better shot at the playoffs than the top pick.
According to Football Outsiders, Washington has a 12.5% chance of winning the NFC East and making the playoffs. And FiveThirtyEight gives them a 15% chance.
And for the No. 1 pick: Washington has just a 4.2% chance at scoring that prize, per Football Outsiders.
The New York Jets (64.2% chance), Jacksonville Jaguars (19.8%), and Dallas Cowboys (5.2%) are the three teams with better odds at landing the top pick after Week 10.
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If the season ended today, Washington would have the No. 4 pick. If they win the division (no matter their record) they would have the No. 19 pick.
The Jets are so incompetently horrible and likely going to cruise to a one-win season at best while Washington is expected to finish 5-11 by Football Outsiders and FiveThirtyEight.
A week ago Rivera said, "We're still in it.”
His reason: The team leading the division was only a three-win team,
"So, keep your fingers crossed, you just never know,” Rivera added.
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