NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
The Washington Commanders announced on Monday that they have parted ways with head coach Ron Rivera. The firing comes as no surprise as Josh Harris will look to rebuild this organization from the ground up.
After four seasons, the Rivera-led Commanders finished with a 26-40-1 record (39.3%), with only one postseason appearance. This article will look at all of the highs and lows of the past four years.
The Good
Taking the Job
The 2019 season was nothing short of disastrous. As a fan, there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. That offseason, Rivera was viewed as a top head coaching candidate. He had multiple teams (in much better situations) to pick from. Instead of taking a more desirable job, he opted to take the one in Washington.
Not many coaches would have touched this organization with a 10-foot pole. I believe this is a testament to the type of person Ron Rivera is. He didn’t want to take the easy path and was determined to change this organization for the better, and for that, I am forever grateful.
Winning the NFC East in 2020
The 2020 NFL season better known as the COVID season, was tough for every team. Even more so for a newly appointed head coach trying to change a culture. Washington was projected to win only 3 to 4 games that year. After starting 2-7, Rivera rallied the team to win five of its last seven games and finish with a 7-9 record. Thanks to a down year from other NFC East teams, they not only made the playoffs but were hosting the game.
The most memorable moment of the 2020 regular season personally was taking down the 11-0 Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Going Toe-To-Toe Against Tampa Bay
Unfortunately, after making the playoffs, Washington’s opponent would be Tampa Bay. The scariest thing a team can face in the postseason is Tom Brady. Especially Tom Brady who was on a mission to show that he didn’t need Bill Belichick to win a Super Bowl.
However, Washington didn’t flinch as they went punch for punch against the soon-to-be Super Bowl champions. This would end up being remembered as the Taylor Heinicke game. Heinicke would finish the game with a 92 overall grade. One of the highest grades a QB has received in a postseason game.
His Selflessness
Rivera’s tenure in D.C. was not an easy one. Not focusing on the numerous Snyder allegations, he went through a lot in his personal life. Not long after being hired, he was diagnosed with skin cancer. During the season, he went through 35 therapy treatments and 3 cycles of chemotherapy. He even got IV fluids during halftimes, but never missed a game.
During the 2022 season, Rivera’s mother passed away. Once again, he didn’t miss a game. In fact, Washington would go on to defeat the 8-0 Eagles that week. There were several occasions when Rivera could have decided to walk away, but he never gave up on the team and put them before nearly everything else.
The Bad
The QB Position
Quarterback is the most important position in football. Without one, it is nearly impossible to have any sustained success. Never truly addressing this position will always be Rivera’s biggest mistake.
Washington held the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 draft. Instead of selecting Tua or Herbert, they opted for the safe pick and drafted Chase Young. They went into the season with Haskins at QB1 and we know how that turned out.
In the 2021 draft, Washington could have traded up for a quarterback, but instead, stayed put at 19 and took a developmental LB in Jamin Davis. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the only starting QB on the team with Heinicke backing him up. I am not sure of the thought process behind this move especially since they didn’t have a young QB on the bench developing.
The next season they traded a 2nd and 3rd round pick for Carson Wentz, which was his third team in three years. Finally, Rivera put his job on the line with 5th-round QB Sam Howell. Initially, it looked like a smart move, until Howell unraveled in the 2nd half of the season.
Poor Drafting
Rivera and the front office struggled to draft even serviceable players. In four drafts, they have only produced three high-end players in Curl, Cosmi, and Robinson. More important are the misses in the first round.
Chase Young was traded to the 49ers for a compensatory 3rd rounder, Jamin Davis is still developing going into his 4th season, Jahan Dotson has failed to eclipse even 600 yards in either of his first two years, and Emmanuel Forbes had a disastrous rookie campaign.
It is simple: If you cannot draft players, you will not have much success.
Being Too Loyal to His Guys
Ron Rivera is loyal to a fault. While it is an admirable trait, loyalty in the NFL doesn’t exist. If a coach cannot produce wins, they are fired. If a player does not produce on the field, they are cut or benched.
In my opinion, Rivera brought over far too many people from his days in Carolina when he was first hired. If it didn’t work in Carolina, I am not sure why he thought they would work in Washington.
The Defense had some highs, but also a lot of lows. The reality is that Jack Del Rio should have been let go well before he was. The starting defense had six first-rounders, yet was the worst unit in the league. Del Rio was not fired until after the Thanksgiving game and reports say Harris had a lot to do with that decision.
Conclusion
Overall, I thank Ron Rivera for the sacrifices that he made and for enduring the craziness that is Washinton football. Even with the lack of success on the field, it never felt as if he lost the locker room, which can easily happen during a 4-13 season. He was asked to do and put up with more than any coach I have ever seen and not once did he complain.
I hope he takes much-deserved time off and enjoys his future endeavors, whatever they may be.
