Washington head coach Ron Rivera is entering his third season in charge of the Commanders in 2022. Rivera has stated multiple times this offseason that the third season is a big one, as you should expect an improvement in performance.
In Rivera’s first season with Washington in 2020, he led the team to an NFC East title while he battled cancer all season. Sure, Washington was 7-9, but considering where the team was in 2019 and all of the quarterback issues, it was quite the achievement for Rivera.
Last season, Washington finished 7-10. Rivera has a combined 14-19 record in two seasons with Washington. In 11 seasons as an NFL head coach, Rivera has a 90-82-1 overall record.
Unfortunately, Rivera hasn’t had a winning season since 2017. So where does that place him among all NFC coaches?
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently ranked all NFL head coaches from 1-32, with Rivera coming in at No. 19. Benjamin’s view of Rivera appears harsh but is based on reality:
Rivera’s had a heck of a career, taking the Panthers to the playoffs four times in a five-year span, but those days are gone. Since 2015, when he advanced to the Super Bowl, he’s eclipsed seven wins exactly one time. The consistency is there, both in his conduct and defensive prowess. But it’s hard to expect much more than scrappiness from his teams anymore, unless his latest QB gamble, Carson Wentz, suddenly returns to MVP form.
This is the key quote: “But it’s hard to expect much more than scrappiness from his teams anymore.”
Ouch.
The Commanders have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot, but much of those hopes ride on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Wentz and Rivera’s defense reverting to its 2020 form.