Where do the Commanders stand in the NFL power rankings after Week 16?

One month ago, the Washington Commanders were on a roll, having five of their previous six games to move into playoff contention.

However, when Washington hosts the Cleveland Browns Sunday, it will have been over a month since the Commanders won a game. Over its last three games, Washington is 0-2-1. The Commanders’ last win came against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 27.

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When Washington hosts the Browns on Sunday, it could be with a new quarterback. The Commanders benched Taylor Heinicke and replaced him with former starter Carson Wentz in the fourth quarter. It was Wentz’s first action since injuring a finger on his throwing hand in Week 6.

Despite being tied with the San Francisco 49ers 7-7 at halftime in Week 16, the Commanders lost 37-20 as turnovers, and short fields doomed Washington’s defense.

How did it impact the Commanders in the latest power rankings? We review the various NFL power rankings to see where Washington stands ahead of Week 17.

 

USA TODAY

Ranking: No. 16

Last week: No. 17

16. Commanders (17): QB Carson Wentz could be back in the saddle for Week 17 as Washington tries to cling to its half-game lead for NFC’s last wild-card berth.

Touchdown Wire

Ranking: No. 15

Last week: No. 14

In a possible wild-card preview, Washington just couldn’t hang with the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Throw in a reevaluation of the quarterback job between Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz, and Washington is right on schedule to go off the rails the first week of January.

ESPN

Ranking: No. 14

Last week: No. 13

Defining moment: Trading for Carson Wentz.

Washington has unsuccessfully sought an answer at quarterback for decades, and it was intent on finding a solution last offseason. Some used the word “desperate.” The Commanders missed on Russell Wilson — in hindsight, perhaps fortunately — and inquired about a lot of options. Acquiring Wentz cost them two third-round draft picks and $28 million in cap space. But so far, he has not proved he is anything other than a one-year experiment, playing inconsistently in his first six starts, including throwing seven touchdown passes over his first two games and only three over the next four outings. Washington remains in the playoff race in part because backup Taylor Heinicke went 5-3-1 in relief, but Wentz could still have a chance to prove his worth over the final two games and possibly the postseason.

Pro Football Talk

Ranking: No 14

Last week: No. 13

Commanders (7-7-1): It could be Carson Wentz time, with the playoffs on the line.

Yahoo Sports

Ranking: No. 17

Last week: No. 17

Getting Taylor Heinicke out of the game after the 49ers’ defense was getting to him made sense. Turning that into “Hey, maybe Carson Wentz should start next week” is a little confusing. Neither option is great though.

NFL.com

Ranking: No. 16

Last week: No. 15

Ron Rivera pulled the trigger on Saturday, benching Taylor Heinicke in favor of Carson Wentz in a 37-20 loss to the 49ers. Heinicke is a fiery competitor but also plainly inconsistent, and his struggles in the red zone might have been the final straw for Rivera, who will likely stay with Wentz in the final two weeks of the regular season. Now the Commanders must hope that Wentz can overcome the hot-and-cold style of play that has defined most of his own career. A sour end to the season under center could prompt a complete reboot at the position in the offseason.

The Athletic

Ranking: No. 16

Last week: No. 15

Whether Ron Rivera has announced it or not, it feels like a fait accompli that Carson Wentz will get the ball against Cleveland this week when the Commanders try to squeeze themselves into the playoffs. Beat Cleveland and they might get a Cowboys team with nothing to play for in Week 18, so things are shaping up like a redemption story of sorts for Wentz. But anyone who watched his Colts come up empty in the regular-season finale against the Jaguars last season knows nothing with Wentz is ever easy. Maybe the defense will get a boost from a different No. 2 overall pick, Chase Young, who made his season debut in the loss to the 49ers with two tackles on 30 defensive snaps.

The Ringer

Ranking: No. 20

Last week: No. 17

The Commanders have now lost back-to-back games coming out of their Week 14 bye and benched Taylor Heinicke in their most recent loss to San Francisco. As of Monday afternoon, Ron Rivera had yet to name a starter between Heinicke and Carson Wentz, but it feels safe to say that neither of those mediocre quarterbacks is capable of taking the Commanders on a run in the postseason, if they manage to even make it that far.

FOX Sports

Ranking: No. 15

With Seattle and Detroit both losing at the same time, getting dog-walked by San Francisco matters a lot less to the Commanders’ playoff odds. Still, it’s going to be interesting to watch Carson Wentz try to guide this team to the postseason if he does in fact remain the starter.

 

CBS Sports

Ranking: No. 12

Last week: No. 12

Taylor Heinicke didn’t play well against the 49ers, which could mean it’s time to go back to Carson Wentz. They are still a playoff team right now.

Bleacher Report

Ranking: No. 15

Last week: No. 14

The last thing an NFL team clinging to postseason hopes needs is a quarterback controversy. But after pulling Taylor Heinicke in favor of Carson Wentz in last week’s loss at San Francisco, that’s exactly what the Washington Commanders are dealing with.

While addressing the media after the game, head coach Ron Rivera insisted that the team hasn’t decided who will be under center when the Commanders face the Cleveland Browns in Week 17.

“We’re gonna evaluate the tape, we’ll talk about those things, and I’ll make a decision next week,” Rivera said. “And I’ll make it early, too, because whoever’s gonna start is gonna get the chance to make it work.”

At least one of our analysts isn’t sure it will matter.

“Benching Heinicke for Wentz after benching Wentz for Heinicke pretty well sums up the quarterback situation in the nation’s capital,” Davenport said. Both quarterbacks have similar statistics, but for whatever reason, the team has enjoyed more success this year with Heinicke under center.

“In any event, while the Commanders may get past Cleveland, their best bet at beating Dallas in the finale is if the Cowboys rest players. If they don’t, it won’t matter who starts at quarterback, and the door will be open for a team behind them to snatch the last playoff spot in the NFC.”