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

Game update (late Sunday afternoon): The Commanders will play the Buccaneers after the Rams’ loss dropped LA to fourth. Washington heads to Tampa in the wild card.

Game updates: The Commanders won despite sitting Jayden Daniels for a good chunk of this game, and the Packers lost in the final second. That means Washington clinches the six seed and will play against either the Rams or Buccaneers.

The Packers will head to the two-seeded Philadelphia Eagles.

The Washington Commanders are headed to the NFL Playoffs for the first time in four years. However, they still have some work to do in Week 18 if they want to settle up their seeding for the Wild Card round. The Commanders travel to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET. The Cowboys won the first game between these two teams in Week 12.

The Commanders are 11-5 and currently sit in sixth place in the NFC standings. They’re tied with the Green Bay Packers, but hold the conference record tiebreaker. Given the two teams are tied, the Packers can only move past the Commanders if Washington loses and Green Bay beats the Chicago Bears. If that happens, Washington would slip to the No. 7 seed.

If the Commanders hold onto the No. 6 seed, they would face either the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. The Rams currently hold the spot with the Bucs a game back of them. If the Rams win or the Bucs lose on Sunday, the Commanders will face the Rams. If the Rams lose and the Bucs win, the Commanders would face the Bucs.

If Washington slips to the No. 7 seed, they would face the Philadelphia Eagles, who are locked into the No. 2 seed. The Commanders and Eagles split their season series.

This has no tiebreaker implications because the Commanders have clinched the conference record tiebreaker over the Packers.