The only place the Nats will be raked over the coals if they lose is on WNFF. Every other outlet will say the better team won and commend the Nats on getting out of the hole and salvaging their season.
If you just look at this year in a vacuum, yes. But there will be continued talk until the Nats advance past a NLDS that in 5 postseason appearances since 2012 they haven't been to a NLCS. And if the Nats do get to a NLCS...then the monkey on the back is winning a World Series.