The Washington Commanders are all but assured of a playoff spot but would like to be more than one-and-done. Luckily for them, an impending player return could bode very well for their chances of postseason success.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the status of running back Austin Ekeler, who has been out on injured reserve since Week 12 with a concussion. With Ekeler's final week on IR, he could be back on the field as early as Week 18 if he's healthy and Quinn asserted that it's "absolutely possible" he plays before the playoffs.
Ekeler would be no small addition to the Commanders backfield in January. In 11 games he has 701 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. He previously led the NFL in touchdowns scored in back-to-back seasons between 2021 and 2022, scoring 20 and 18 respectively before a down year in 2023.
Even with a handful of missed games this season and only six starts, Ekeler ranks third on the team in rushing yards and fifth in receiving yards. It's largely thanks to the superb rushing ability of quarterback Jayden Daniels and breakout seasons from wideouts Noah Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus that they haven't needed him more.
But with the playoffs only a few weeks away, the Commanders' chances of making a run are significantly better with a full deck than with any valuable skill player missing.
In one season, Quinn has delivered a complete turnaround for the Commanders. Their 10 wins are already the most they've had in a season since 2012 and if they win just one more game, they'll have 11 wins for the first time since all the way back in 1991 - the year they won their last Super Bowl.
Washington can clinch a playoff berth with a win over either the Atlanta Falcons or Washington Commanders, or losses from a handful of Wild Card teams.
