With the Washington Commanders' unfortunate 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, the team has officially been eliminated from playoff contention. There's no doubt it's a disappointing outcome after last year's season held so much promise, although it doesn't mean there's nothing left to play for.

But the Commanders are looking to finish the season on a positive note, and they have an opportunity to do that with four consecutive division games.

Being a part of the Commanders' locker room for the past six seasons, safety Jeremy Reaves has played his fair share of divisional matchups. He's well aware of how much weight these matchups hold, and he takes the outcome personally.

"It always means a little bit more in the division just because these are the teams you're consistently going to see every year," Reaves said. "There's a little bit of pride that comes with that, so they've all got to be personal. They've all got to mean something more than just a win or loss in the column."

Washington heads north for Sunday's game to take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium with a chance for the team to break an eight-game losing skid.

What has kept quarterback Marcus Mariota focused amid the stacked losses is remembering why he's playing the game of football in the first place. He doesn't think the team ever needed the metaphorical carrot of the postseason dangled in front of them as motivation to perform, and this week will prove it.

"I think first and foremost, just perspective," Mariota said. "We play a children's game and at the end of the day, it's fun to be out there bringing energy and bringing positivity. That's all that really matters at the end of the day, and I think guys will really rally around that."

Like Mariota, Reaves has faith that, come Sunday, his team will play to the Commanders' standard and pull out a win despite the lack of postseason incentive.

"You either love being a football player or you love playing football, it's one of the two," Reaves said. "If you love being a football player, it's going to show on tape. If you love playing football, then that's going to be evident on tape too. So, I think this locker room has a bunch of people who love playing football. So, if you have that despite the circumstances, you should get maximum effort. It's no different if you're 10-3 or 3-10. I think this locker room is built that way, so you'll see and you'll know."

A rookie, wide receiver Jaylin Lane wasn't a part of last year's regular season magic or wild playoff run. It's something he's no doubt heard about from his teammates or watched on TV from his Virginia Tech dorm room, but the reality he faces as a player is something entirely different.

Even still, Lane understands the importance of winning out against division opponents and how it's something the Commanders' locker room and young core can build on for next season.

"It's huge for us just to go out and play our division opponents hard," Lane said. "To go out and get these wins, it will be huge for us into the offseason and into the next year."

Ending the season on a positive note against divisional opponents is something Mariota believes is important in setting a strong precedent for how Washington moves forward.

"You're setting a foundation," Mariota said. "We talked about it in the team room and most of the team, it's setting a culture. We talk about a culture, we talk about the brotherhood; it's really these moments that tell you who you are. It's never easy, it's not easy to go out here when it's 20 degrees at practice, and at the same time, it's great learning tools for everybody here, and the more that we can build off of that, and build off of each other for the future, will be better."

Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw holds similar sentiments to Mariota.

"It's very important," Kinlaw said. "For one, to see where we are and where we're going. That's all it's about. When you ain't playing for nothing, it's different. You really see who's got heart and who don't. Like I said before, all these guys we play with got heart, and I think we're going to go out and try to win every game. It don't really matter."

The Commanders' last meeting with the Giants was Week 1, with quarterback Russell Wilson at the helm and Brian Daboll wearing the head coach's headset. Neither team imagined they would be at the bottom of the division then, and now, 14 weeks later, neither team wants to lose. The biggest asset Washington has on its sideline is a brotherhood willing to do whatever it takes to get back in the win column and set a precedent for success.

Whether it's the Giants on Sunday, or the Eagles or Cowboys the weeks following, the Commanders won't go down without a fight.