Browns vs. Commanders NFL Week 17 odds: Carson Wentz starts at QB for Washington, which can clinch playoff berth or be eliminated

The Washington Commanders control their own destiny in their quest for an NFC wild card spot, but they are winless in their past three games. Coach Ron Rivera has decided to bench quarterback Taylor Heinicke and start Carson Wentz on Sunday against the visiting Cleveland Browns. There was a slight spread shift at Caesars Sportsbook with this news, with the Commanders going from +2.5 to +2.

This might be Wentz's last chance to prove he can still be a starting QB in the league. The Commanders have an easy out on his four-year, $128,000,000 contract originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz has a dead-cap hit of exactly $0 after this season.

Wentz started the Commanders' first six games with a 2-4 record but fractured his finger in a 12-7 win at Chicago on Thursday night in Week 6, which required surgery. Heinicke took over and went 5-3-1 as the starter and seemed to win over the locker room.

However, the Commanders are 0-2-1 in their past three games and Heinicke had two second-half turnovers in a 37-20 loss at San Francisco on Christmas Eve. Rivera benched him and turned to Wentz, who was 12-for-16 for 123 yards and a touchdown against a Niners defense essentially playing prevent.

After a win over Houston last month, Rivera had announced that Heinicke would remain the starter even when Wentz was fully healthy. Rivera said the change last week was made in part to keep Heinicke from taking hits from San Francisco's terrific defensive line.

"What he showed was that he's fully healthy, he's got fresh legs right now, and got a lively arm," Rivera said of Wentz on Tuesday. "He made very quick decisions. He showed us that quick twitch that you look for in quarterbacks and his decision making seemed to be right on."

Wentz, who will turn 30 on Friday, is in Washington because of how badly his finish to the 2021 season went with the Colts. Back in March, Indianapolis sent Wentz, a 2022 second-round pick (No. 47 overall) and a 2022 seventh-round pick (No. 237) to Washington for the Commanders' 2022 second-round pick (No. 42 overall), third-round pick (No. 73 overall) and a 2023 conditional third-round pick that could turn into a second if Wentz plays 70% of the snaps.

The Commanders (7-7-1) hold the NFC's final wild-card spot and will play extra football if they win out (Week 18 vs. Dallas, which may have nothing to play for and rest starters). Washington can clinch a postseason berth this week with a win and losses from Green Bay, Seattle and Detroit. Rivera's team can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Browns and victories from both the Packers and Lions (both are home favorites).

Cleveland already has been eliminated from AFC playoff contention. 

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