Ron Rivera should be fired today: Take 2.

The Washington Commanders head coach should be on the hot seat after loss to Bears

This should have happened last season. After the debacle against the Browns, when Ron Rivera sat the 5-3-1 Taylor Heinicke in favor of the horrific Carson Wentz, destroying the team’s playoff hopes (much to Rivera’s surprise), I called for his firing that evening. It was too late last night, and I was in too foul of a mood, to pen this after the evening’s brutalization against the Bears though, so it had to wait for daybreak.

Rivera was saved last year by the ownership turmoil. Perhaps he was given a bit of a benefit of the doubt after having to operate under Dan Snyder. But, more than anything else, Snyder had far bigger things to worry about than firing his coach last January.

But now it’s time. It’s time to go.

Skirting by the anemic Cardinals and Broncos, getting destroyed by the Bills, failing to close the door on the Eagles, and then putting up one of the most pathetic performances I’ve ever witnessed – against the worst team in the league – on national television, is enough. It’s enough to let us see that Ron Rivera, and Jack Del Rio, as well, are not the guys.

This defense has over half a decade of first round picks on it, and it’s one of the worst units in the league, giving up 40 points to the lowly Chicago Bears. Is anyone in the league getting less out of more? I doubt it. We’ve seen enough.

In a game where Washington had effectively lost by halftime, Rivera admitted on national TV that he didn’t take control of the locker room. He left it to players to try to pump each other up. It’s enough.

As GM, Ron’s 2023 draft class currently consists of a first round pick who has routinely been roasted week after week, has posted several of the worst secondary performances in the league, and who has been benched in multiple weeks, as well as six other guys who are on the FBI’s missing persons list. You would be hard-pressed to think of a draft class that has had less immediate impact than this one. It’s enough.

Does new ownership have the constitution to take quick action on this? We’ll see.

While Josh Harris was hamming it up with Mark Ein and friends in the owners’ box in the midst of the 27-3 drubbing in the first half, Magic Johnson was seething, elsewhere in the stadium. He saw the problem. It’s enough.

The Path Forward

For all the other wretchedness, Sam Howell is developing well, and Eric Bieniemy seems to be an improvement over Scott Turner. Is he ready to be a head coach? I don’t know. But let’s find out now.

Fire Ron Rivera, Jack Del Rio, and the Martii (Mayhew and Hurney) immediately. Bring in a respected, but non-threatening, seasoned voice as temporary head of football operations. Someone who can come in and assess the situation for ownership, and make recommendations on a permanent replacement for the 2024 season. Perhaps someone like John Dorsey, who is now a senior executive with the Lions, but who was formerly a GM.

Elevate Bieniemy to head coach. Elevate someone from the defensive coaching staff (Jeff Zgonina?) to defensive coordinator, and let’s roll through the rest of the season. Twelve more games like this is more than any fanbase should be forced to endure, and wasting the “talent” on this roster for another 3/4’s of a season would be nearly criminal.

It’s enough.