The Washington Commanders, while unable to make the playoffs this season, have quite a lot to play for in Week 18.
On Sunday, the 7-8-1 Commanders will be taking on the 12-4 Dallas Cowboys.
The Commanders currently pick 14th in this spring's NFL Draft.
Based on eyeballing it and looking quickly at who plays who, I think they could pick as high as 10th with a loss and as low as 22 with a win.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 4, 2023
The Cowboys certainly have a lot to play for this week, as they have the potential to take over the number one overall seed in the NFC, and are still playing for their playoff seeding.
They will almost certainly be playing their starters in the hopes of securing a win, doing their part in determining their playoff destiny.
However, the Commanders don’t have much to play for, at least, for this season.
The Commanders hold their first-round pick this season, and currently have the 14th overall pick in next year’s draft.
They do have an opportunity to get up to the 10th overall pick if they lose.
With the news of Taylor Heinicke starting for the Commanders this week, he will likely do everything he can to win this game, considering that he is not under contract in 2023, and will likely use this game as a final tryout either for the Commanders or another team in the league.
To self-sabotage, the Commanders could throw in Sam Howell, a rookie who has yet to make an NFL appearance.
Looking ahead to next season, the Commanders are in desperate need of a quarterback, and could easily find their franchise player in this draft, which should be loaded with quarterback prospects.
We will have to wait and see how it all unfolds on Sunday.
