Washington Football Team: Studs and duds in Week 4 loss to Ravens
Washington Football Team Stud: HC Ron Rivera
There had been a lot of criticism for Ron Rivera the past two weeks. Some felt that by not calling his timeouts late in halves, he was robbing his teams of a chance to compete for a win. Or at the very least, he was taking away valuable two-minute drill opportunities from his team.
This week, Rivera didn’t back down. He used his timeouts effectively late in the first half and ended up helping the team to come away with three extra points as a result of it. And late in the contest, he didn’t let the team ride off into the sunset with a loss. He tried to keep them in the game and help the squad to at least have a chance to cut into the deficit late.
Beyond that, Rivera also made the right move by challenging Dwayne Haskins to perform this week. The results that the young quarterback delivered were solid, as he completed 71 percent of his passes for 314 yards and added a rush TD while avoiding turnovers. That was thanks, in part, to Rivera sitting him down and straightforwardly telling him he had to play better to keep his job.
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But perhaps the most incredible part of this week is what Rivera struggled through during this game. He is in the midst of cancer treatment and, by all accounts, he was toughing it out during the game.
No one would grudge Rivera if he needed to miss a game, or specifically this game. But his willingness — or rather, desire — to continue coaching through this show just how dedicated he is to this team. His going the extra mile to be there for the team should be appreciated especially considering that the team showed some improvements against a tougher opponent.