The Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders face off in a Week 17 matchup of teams on the cusp of making the playoffs. The Commanders are home favorites for this primetime showdown that features rookie quarterbacks.

How to watch Falcons at Commanders

Both teams also will be keeping a close eye on Tampa Bay on Sunday. Washington (10-5) needs a win/tie or a loss/tie by the Buccaneers (vs. Carolina) to punch their postseason ticket, while the Falcons (8-7) can claim the NFC South title with a victory and a Tampa loss.

The Commanders have won three in a row, capped by last week’s thrilling, come-from-behind 36-33 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Jayden Daniels sparkled against the Eagles, throwing a season-high five touchdown passes and adding a team-high 81 rushing yards.

If there’s any concern, it’s that Daniels has thrown six interceptions over the last five games. Atlanta’s defense has been particularly stingy recently, holding Las Vegas and the New York Giants to a combined 16 points and 483 yards with seven sacks and six takeaways in the last two games. However, there’s a big difference between those teams and a Washington attack that’s top five in the league in scoring offense (28.8 points per game) and total offense (373.5 yards per game).

The big story for the Falcons has been the switch at quarterback from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. The latter made his first NFL start last week, going 18-of-27 for 202 yards with an interception in the 34-7 rout of the Giants. The Commanders are fourth in passing defense (185.5 yards per game), although they have allowed 24 touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

This may be a matchup of quarterbacks that were top-10 draft picks this year but don’t forget about Bijan Robinson. Atlanta’s second-year back is fifth in rushing with 1,196 yards, and Washington has had trouble stopping the run. The Commanders have surrendered 164 or more rushing yards on five different occasions this season.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Commanders odds

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(Photo of Michael Penix Jr.: Rich von Biberstein / Getty Images)