by Omran Hamidi, staff reporter

With the playoffs looming around and teams trying to get in, the most talked about playoff contention is with the NFC East division whose teams all have a losing record except for the Washington Redskins who are currently tied with a 7-7 win-loss record. Apart of this division is the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys who are out of playoff contention. The Redskins will play against the Eagles this upcoming Saturday and have a chance to clinch the division. The Giants, without Odell Beckham Jr due to his antics against the Carolina Panthers, play the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday as well but need to win the game in order to still have shot.

“To have a chance and have your team in a position to possibly win the division this late,” Gruden said Monday at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va., “is obviously what you coach for — these moments and these games.” Although Jay Gruden, head coach of the Redskins has been under fire with problems from quarterback to late-game execution, he has proven he can coach his team and clinching the division will certainly allow him to be in Washington for the long-term.

“We just keep taking steps forward. I’ve said all along it’s a process. I don’t think everything gets fixed in one week or one day. But we just keep staying at it,” Redskins Quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “I think we’re heading in the right direction and that’s encouraging.“

If the Redskins lose Saturday, that still leaves the door open for the Eagles and the Giants to make a push to win the division. The Giants, who will most likely be without Beckham Jr. due to his suspension, need to change their offense in order to propel a win against the Vikings. The running game needs to be used more now and although their defense is suspect they made an aggressive push against the Panthers last Sunday.

“As a fan, I just want to see who’s going to step up when it counts most,”  junior Ron Bamatela said.