Three things to watch at Washington Football Team padded practices

No. 2 – Will the tempo change as the season gets closer?

With less than a month to go now before the 2020 NFL regular season, the Washington Football Team must be aware of the need for urgency. In these uncertain times, teams that better capitalize on their autonomy preparing could end up surprising when real competition comes around.

This reality begs the question toward Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team: How will they change the tempo as the season gets closer, and how will they maintain a sense of urgency, in order to keep players performing at their very best in a practice environment?

In previous years, Washington has been known for its slow starts under former head coach Jay Gruden. Additionally, there’s a correlation toward Gruden’s practice habits; Gruden was occasionally more critical of his players than normal, but in general, his practices were viewed as lax and less intense.

There does need to be a balance between comfort, which Gruden seemed to prefer, and pressure, and in the lead-up to the regular season, Ron Rivera will need to find a balance that works for his team.

The environment in which a player works contributes to the culture that precipitates, and Rivera will have the tough task of pairing teamwork and competition, without one eroding at the other. How will he change the tempo as the season gets closer, and how will he approach this coveted balance? That will be of great interest in August and early September.