NFL playoff picture: What does Giants-Commanders mean for NFC standings

Results update: The Giants, led by Saquon Barkley and Kayvon Thibodeaux, won a close matchup in a hard fought game over the Commanders on Sunday Night. The Giants flip spots in the playoff race with the Giants and now have a better shot at holding their playoff position, while the Commanders are more vulnerable to than they were a few hours ago. The Lions and Seahawks both have a shot of grabbing one of those playoff spots, but they’ll need a little luck.

The New York Giants and Washington Commanders wrap up Week 15 with a Sunday Night Football contest at FedEx Field in Maryland. The two teams are battling in the back of the NFC East, but are firmly in the playoff race two weeks removed from their 20-20 tie in the Meadowlands. The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday and the Commanders are 4.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.

NFC East, wild card playoff picture

Both teams are 7-5-1 and have been eliminated from winning the NFC East title. Either of them could still finish ahead of the Cowboys for second place, although Washington has the better chance having the one remaining game against Dallas and it being at home. The Commanders currently hold the tiebreaker edge based on division record.

Washington is currently sixth in the overall NFC standings and New York is seventh. Seattle’s loss to the 49ers on Thursday Night Football means that the loser will head into Week 16 sitting in seventh place and the winner will be in sixth place.

Tiebreaker implications

The head-to-head tiebreaker between these two is at stake. For the wild card race, the conference record tiebreaker will be impacted.