'We Can Be Eliminated?!' Coach Ron Rivera Surprised by Commanders Sinking Playoff Chance

Commanders coach Ron Rivera needs two things: 1, He needs to make sure Carson Wentz is still a good idea. And 2, he needs someone to explain the playoff ramifications to him.

"We can be eliminated?''

Of all the the things to analytically pick apart about the Washington Commanders' 24-10 flop in a home loss to Cleveland on Sunday at FedEx Field, we're not going to dwell too much on the fact that coach Ron Rivera was unaware of the playoff-contention damage done by the failure and drop to 7-8-1.

But ... 

1) Yes, just in case "Riverboat Ron'' - who actually said that in his postmortem presser - is reading this ... Yeah, don't gamble on Washington being "in control of its playoff destiny'' as has been the case for weeks ...

But is no longer the case.

And ...

2) Did the Commanders - the head coach, or a top assistant, or even a math geek (or a football fan?) on the staff - really not know this?

Coming into the game, the biggest storyline revolved around Carson Wentz's return to the starting lineup after Taylor Heinicke was benched in last week's loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Wentz decision remains a major storyline, as he was booed by Washington fans almost from start to finish, as he got off to a slow start, throwing two first-half interceptions ... and later, with the Commanders trying playing catch-up in the fourth quarter, Wentz lobbed another interception - all but sealed the loss for Washington.

So, Ron, here you go: With the Detroit Lions' (8-8) win against the Chicago Bears, they leapfrog the Commanders in the standings and hold a spot in the playoff picture. Should the Green Bay Packers (7-8) beat the Minnesota Vikings (12-3) in the late window today, the Commanders will be eliminated from playoff contention.

If the Commanders get some help, and stay alive this weekend, they play host to the well-rested 12-4 Dallas Cowboys next weekend, at which time Ron Rivera will be tasked with two key pieces of knowledge.

He'll need to make sure Carson Wentz is still a good idea.

And he'll need someone to explain the playoff ramifications to him.

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