Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Washington Football Team’s rebuild parallels Rams’ rise to success

By Tim Meek

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 22: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball in the first half against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 22, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 22: Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball in the first half against the New York Giants at FedExField on December 22, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team interviews during the second day of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 26, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team interviews during the second day of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 26, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Comparing Washington’s rebuild to the Rams rebuild: New coaches

In 2017, the Rams hired Sean McVay as their new head coach. He brought with him a new attitude to an organization that desperately needed an identity. He had a plan, the players bought in and he had a unique ability to adapt.

In his first season, McVay took a first-round QB who was already being touted as a bust and turned him into a competent NFL starting QB.

The statistical difference in Goff from Year 1 to Year 2 was staggering. He had a 28-to-7 TD/INT ratio and he completed over 64 percent of his passes. The Rams went from 4-12 the year prior to 11-5. That worst-to-first path has become commonplace in the NFL.

Admittedly, McVay was widely regarded as a special talent and one of the brightest young football minds in the game.  To compare newly hired Scott Turner to him is unfair.

However, Turner does come from great lineage.  He’s also young and innovative.  Everything we’ve heard from Training Camp has been a focus on tempo and becoming less predictable…isn’t this sounding more and more like the McVay and the Rams?

In Year 2, McVay took his team to the Super Bowl. When McVay was hired, he was known for his offensive prowess. But one of the most important things he did when hired was bringing in Wade Phillips to run a young & talented, but underachieving defense lead by Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald.

Again, the similarities are staggering between the Rams and Washington. Rivera is being praised for his attention to detail, his ability to relate to players while being tough and for the structure and leadership he’s bringing to this organization. Like McVay, he hired a defensive coordinator with top-level experience (Jack Del Rio) to coach up a young and promising defense with potentially dominating players across the defensive line.

Can Rivera have the same impact on this organization as McVay did with the Rams? Absolutely! Can Haskins progress in Year 2 the way Goff did? Without a doubt!  Will Washington see the same level of success in a short amount of time? That’s impossible to predict, but we do need to remain patient. Not every rebuild happens as quickly as it did for the Rams.

Next. Reality checks before Washington vs. Eagles Week 1. dark

We’ll see what comes in Week 1, but for now, I’m soaking in every bit of this journey.

Home/Commanders News