Washington Football Team studs and duds from Week 10 loss

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 15: Cam Sims #89 of the Washington Football Team reacts following a first down during their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 15: Cam Sims #89 of the Washington Football Team reacts following a first down during their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 15: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team reacts during their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 15: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team reacts during their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

Dud No. 4 – Ron Rivera in the first half

This is closely related to the offense’s propensity for miscues early in games, but this more closely entails the Washington Football Team’s overall ineptitude and inability to execute early in games. Washington’s point differential in the first half this season is -76, which averages out to a deficit of more than a touchdown per first half.

That’s not on offense. That’s not on defense. It’s on both units, and it’s also ultimately on the man tasked with preparing the Washington Football Team for games. Ron Rivera has to do a better job of getting quality play from his players with more immediacy, because the come-from-behind model simply isn’t a consistent method for success.

Yes, it’s a young team, and this week more than ever, we saw that, as the team learned and responded to its mistakes mid-game. Those first-half low moments are an inevitable part of growth, but to see it be such a prevalent problem, with little to no sign of improvements, is concerning.

The only time Washington came out of the gate strong this year was against the Cowboys, when they had almost no resistance on the other side. Rivera needs to answer this question at some point this year, because if he doesn’t, it’ll only become a deeper issue in 2021.