The Washington Commanders’ recent Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles was a tough pill to swallow for fans and pundits alike. The team, led by coach Ron Rivera, got outperformed in the fourth quarter in a second winnable game against the Super Bowl-contending Eagles. That was after struggling mightily and suffering a disheartening loss to the New York Giants in Week 7.
While emotions run high in the wake of such defeats, it’s essential to take a step back and objectively evaluate whether Rivera should be fired as a knee-jerk reaction to the team’s performance.
The 2023 NFL season has been a challenging one for the Commanders, with inconsistent performances being the norm. The game against the Giants was, indeed, a low point, after a dubious honor previously being against the Chicago Bears. Those performances have naturally raised questions about the leadership of Rivera.
Before making any decisions about firing Rivera or defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, ownership probably has taken into account the big picture and overall track record of Rivera. Rivera has a history and is widely respected in the NFL. He had a few successful seasons as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, which included multiple playoff appearances and a Super Bowl appearance in 2015. Rivera’s reputation as a defensive-minded coach and his ability to develop talent has also been recognized by many in the league. During his time in Washington, his draft classes have produced at the bottom of those boards at a better clip than the high draft selections. That’s a sign of a talent developer or a coach with an eye that misses the obvious top collegiate players.
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Rivera probably has earned himself the respect of ownership to finish the season out because of the things he has done ‘off of the field’. Since taking over, Rivera has faced numerous challenges, including the team’s name change and navigating the turbulence of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He also dealt with his own health while leading the franchise having battled cancer. There’s no question that Rivera has brought a sense of professionalism to the franchise and has changed the culture from the toxic doings laid before him. His impact extends beyond the football field. He has been a vocal advocate for social justice and has led efforts to create a more inclusive and diverse team setup.
With those superlatives being mentioned, it must be asked, however;
Has the game passed Rivera by?
Washington has been a muddled, middle-of-the-pack team ever since he took over. They made the playoffs in his first season but that was with a losing record of 7-9. The NFC East was abysmal in 2020 and a young Commanders team capitalized on the situation. Winning the division that year almost set the team back even further because the following season they had to navigate a top team schedule as far as difficulty. It was obvious they weren’t equipped to face the leagues’ upper brethren on a consistent basis.
Washington has posted records of 7-9, 7-10, 8-8-1, and now 3-5 near the halfway mark of this season. There is no other way to put it. Those records are not getting it done. A younger coach with less pedigree would have been out of work by now. While watching games it appears as if Rivera and Del Rio are being out-schemed and out-coached by younger NFL minds. Washington has young talent themselves but some of those players look to have regressed in their performance.
The Commanders are caught between a rock and a hard place. It’s apparent ownership wants Rivera to finish the season as coach, but more losses against teams that severely outplay Washington will only make the calls from fans to make a change louder.
With the recent trades of Chase Young and Montez Sweat, those fans who are calling for Rivera’s ouster will be even more boisterous should their replacements and the rest of the team not fare well. Young was the franchise’s first-ever first-round pick under Rivera. Despite a major knee injury that nearly cost him a full season, the Ohio State product had worked his way back and was second on the team in sacks with five. Sweat led the team with 6.5. For both of those players to be traded either signals no confidence in them to be top players or no confidence in the coaches to get them to that top player level. Regardless, it’s a bad look for both parties.
So here we are ahead of Sunday. It’s tough firing a coach mid-season. Especially, a coach who has his fingerprints all over the fabric of the organization. Dismissing him could possibly disrupt the team even further and hinder any potential progress for his sure-coming successor.
The matter is a complex one for sure. Patience, yes patience from a fanbase that has been just that for almost three decades might be needed yet again.
At least until the end of the season.