So, I am looking at the Week 12 NFL game schedule.
The Washington Commanders, of course, have a bye off week before they have to face perhaps the NFL’s best defense in the Denver Broncos, Sunday, November 30, at Northwest Stadium in Landover.
Regarding the Commanders, the first thing I notice is that the Browns are playing the Raiders in Las Vegas. “How in the world does that have anything to do with the Commanders?” you ask. Well, the Commanders are 3-8 in the No. 7 position for next April’s 2026 NFL draft. Both the Browns and the Raiders are sitting at 2-8, already having had their bye week.
The point is the Browns are sitting in the No. 3 spot, while the Raiders are one spot ahead of the Commanders at No. 6. Hey, it’s a Commanders bye week, of course, I’ve got to find something of interest to the Commanders this week. If the Raiders were to defeat the Browns, the Las Vegas record would then tie the Commanders at 3-8.
In addition, I notice the Commanders’ strength of schedule thus far is recorded as .511. Meanwhile, the Raiders’ strength of schedule currently is .551. Consequently, if the Raiders and Commanders are both at 3-8 after this week’s games, the Commanders would move up ahead of the Raiders into the No. 6 draft position because strength of schedule is one of the tie breakers of teams finishing with the same won-loss record.
However, having said all that, I observe that the Falcons are 3-7 in the No. 8 position. They play in New Orleans, which is only 2-8. If the Falcons lose on Sunday, they will match the Commanders’ 3-8 record. The Falcons also have the same strength of schedule as Washington, currently at .511. Meaning if the Falcons lose, they could drop below the Commanders.
The Bengals (No. 9) and Cardinals (No. 10) are also 3-7. Cincinnati is a home underdog to the 9-2 Patriots, while Arizona is a home dog to the Jaguars. You get the point… It’s going to get complicated and tight, as the Commanders and four other teams could all have the same record after Sunday’s games.
But hey, aren’t these the types of things one looks into when the team is out of the playoff race before Thanksgiving?
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Games of interest in NFL Week 12
