How Does Giants-Commanders Tie Impact NFC Playoff Picture?

The winner of Sunday’s divisional clash between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders was set to gain valuable ground in the NFC playoff race.

Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz tweeted earlier this week that New York’s playoff odds would jump from 50% to 73% if the Giants claimed a Week 13 victory. On the other hand, the Commanders would have their postseason aspirations jump from 62% to 83% if Washington could earn a win. If the Giants lost their chances would fall from 50% to 29% while the Commanders would drop from 62% to 39% with a defeat.

Well, it ended in a 20-all tie, the second such verdict of the NFL season. It simultaneously spurned all the bettors who took the Over 40 points, too.

So what does that mean now?

“I’m not going to lie, I have no clue,” Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux told reporters after the game when asked what a tie means for New York’s playoff chances, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll added, similarly: “We’ll figure it out. … Better than if it was a loss, not as good as if it was a win.”

At the conclusion of Giants-Commanders, there was no movement in the standings. The 7-4-1 Giants remained the sixth seed and the 7-5-1 Commanders remained the seventh, both in wild-card contention behind fellow NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys. The tie doesn’t kill Washington. The Commanders very well could pass the G-Men in the standings in Week 14 with New York set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Washington’s bye week.

The Seahawks, though, were a loser from the result as Seattle could have jumped the loser of Giants-Commanders with a Week 13 victory of its own.