NFL Power Rankings 2021: Washington is full of confidence following 3rd straight win

Washington Power Rankings!

The Washington Football Team entered the season with high hopes and expectations of repeating as the NFC East champions. They went into Sunday’s game with a 4-6 record after going back to Charlotte for a homecoming game, and getting the victory. The team hosted the stumbling Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football and had a dominating performance, even if the scoreboard only showed a 17-15 win. The team got their 3rd straight win, moved into 2nd place in the NFC East, and is now slotted in a playoff spot(if the season ended today).

The team is riding a wave of confidence that comes with a winning streak. They are actually playing like a team, and the results are positive every week. There were some miscommunications vs the Seahawks, but nowhere near the frequency we were seeing in the first two months of the season. Washington travels to Las Vegas, and then goes into the NFC East gauntlet with 5 division games to finish the year. Ron Rivera talked about dangling the carrot of a Wild Card spot last week, and wouldn’t rule out the division. Washington is two games behind a Cowboys team that has lost 3 of their last 4 games, and is still dealing with COVID-19 to both players and coaches. It’s gonna be a wild ride to the finish line!

High: 19

Low: 25

Average: 20.8

#19

Yahoo Sports(Davis)

Monday night’s escape act from Seattle vaulted the WFT from 12th in the NFC to seventh, i.e. the final wild-card spot. Those who opined this was a wasted season – me – are perusing crow options on the menu. Last Week: 23

Athlon Sports(Fischer)

It was far from pretty against the Seahawks on Monday night but three straight is three straight and suddenly a team previously written off by many is sitting in that No. 7 seed with plenty of momentum. Last Week: 21

Fansided(Baxter)

Ron Rivera’s club hosts the disappointing Seahawks on Monday night with an opportunity to take advantage of a week in which both the Cowboys and Eagles took it on the chin. Led by quarterback Taylor Heinicke, Washington has won its last two games.

And Rivera’s team is getting ready to face the most vital part of its schedule. After the clash with Seattle and a trip to Las Vegas, the Football Team closes with five straight games vs. NFC East rivals. Last week: 23

Sportsnaut(Johnson)

In what has been a disappointing season for Washington, a current three-game winning streak shockingly has this squad in playoff positioning at 5-6. That comes via a hard-fought Week 12 win over the lowly Seattle Seahawks. While we’re not 100% sold on this team, turning things around mid-stream says a lot about Ron Rivera and Co. Last Week: 23

Betting Pros

Three in a row for Washington. Last Week: 21

#20

NFL.com(Hanzus)

Newsflash out of Washington: The Football Team is alive and well. The winning streak is up to three after a 17-15 victory over the Seahawks, a prime-time conquest that moved Washington into the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs and brought them within shouting distance (two games back) of the slumping Cowboys in the NFC East. Washington beat the Seahawks by using Ron Rivera’s most beloved formula: Run the football and play stout defense. Washington’s defense forced Seattle into five consecutive three-and-outs at one point, leading to over 41 minutes of possession time for Taylor Heinicke and Co. Washington isn’t the most talented team … but it believes. Last week: 21

Washington Post(Maske)

Washington, unable to kick a clinching FG late because of Joey Slye’s injury, just managed to hold on Monday night against the Seahawks. Ron Rivera won a division title in Carolina at 7-8-1. He won a division title last season with Washington at 7-9. Now he’s in the No. 7 playoff spot in the NFC at 5-6. Last Week: 20

Bleacher Report

If the 2021 season ended today, the Washington Football Team would be the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs.

That is not a misprint.

Not all that long ago, Washington was widely regarded as one of the biggest disappointments of the season—a 2-6 mess of a team at its bye week with an inconsistent offense and a terrible defense.

But then a funny thing happened. Washington hasn’t lost since coming out of that bye. After stunning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10, Washington outlasted the Carolina Panthers and then the Seahawks to get back to within a game of .500, within two games of the Cowboys in the division and into the NFC playoff picture.

With Antonio Gibson running hard and Taylor Heinicke not making mistakes, Washington’s offense is moving the ball. The defense is playing better without defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young than it was with them.

And with two meetings with the Cowboys coming up over the last month, repeating as NFC East champions—a notion that seemed laughable a few weeks ago—suddenly isn’t so far-fetched. Last Week: 21

Sporting News(Iyer)

Washington has been figuring more things out for Ron Rivera, with Taylor Heinicke’s positive QB flashes adding up to consecutive victories over Tampa Bay and Carolina. Although the playoffs are still within reach, finishing strong all-around will be important to take into a more transitional 2022. Last Week: 23

Yahoo Sports(Schwab)

Somehow, someway, Washington would be in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed if the season ended today. That might sum up this crazy season. Last Week: 23

MMQB(Breer)

With Washington’s rally to .500—the Football Team is now just two games back of Dallas—this is starting to look a lot like 2020. Last Week: 20

Pro Football Talk(Florio)

Ron Rivera could be earning his third coach of the year award. Last Week: 22

The Ringer(Kelly) – Last Week: 20

New York Post – Last Week: 22

#21

The Lines

The WFT capitalized to keep the struggling Seahawks quiet and earn a third straight win on Monday night. They still lack a viable pass rush without Chase Young (ACL) and are coughing up the third-most passing YPG (266.6). Last Week: 21

#22

ESPN

The run game and the defense showed up. Neither was consistent early in the season, and the defense was just plain awful. But Washington has won three straight by using a formula of strong defense and a physical run game. In fact, the defense has held each of the past four opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense. And in the past two weeks, the run game has compiled 334 yards. Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke has done a good job managing the game during this stretch, as well. The confidence level is growing. — John Keim Last Week: 23

Touchdown Wire(Wojton)

Washington made it closer than it needed to be but their defense held the Seahawks offense in check for most of the night. Had it not been for a called back touchdown late, Washington would’ve had a larger gap on the scoreboard in the end (or had their kicker not been hurt). Last Week: 24

#23

CBS Sports(Prisco)

They have won three straight to get back into the playoff race. The defense has really picked it up the past three weeks. They would be in if the playoffs started today. Last week: 20

#24

Pro Football Network(Miller)

With no Chase Young or Montez Sweat, a once terrifying defense suffering performance issues now just looks like a mediocre unit. At least Jonathan Allen is still a terror. Even if they somehow begin to play their best football, Washington has no hope for a miraculous playoff push in 2021. With the Cowboys (twice), Eagles (twice), and Raiders still on the schedule, six wins seems like it’d be a win for the organization and a loss for fans hoping for a higher draft selection.

WFT needs to find their franchise quarterback. They need to get their defenders back healthy for 2022. And honestly, they need a complement for Terry McLaurin because Curtis Samuel won’t suffice.

They wore down the Seahawks’ defense. The offense dominated the time of possession, and their defense suffocated Seattle’s offense. In fact, Washington doubled the offensive plays of their opponent, and they picked up more first downs on both the ground and through the air than Seattle did in total. Last Week: 24

Oddshark – Last Week: 24

#25

NumberFire – Last week: 25

The Washington Football Team’s current record would “earn” them the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. They came into the week slotted for the 10th overall pick. A loss to the Seahawks would have dropped them to the 8th overall pick, and made those playoffs dreams almost extinct. With a 3-game win streak, it’s playoffs or nothing for Ron Rivera.