Washington Football Team: Parallels between Ron Rivera and Ted Lasso

Conclusion

As you can see, there are uncanny similarities between Ted Lasso and Ron Rivera. Both are eternally optimistic and are continuing to build their culture within their respective teams.

Lasso and AFC Richmond didn’t end the season how they had hoped, but the players developed, and the locker room was united. Lasso left the team with his wisdom on the importance of a unified locker room as they headed into the offseason:

"Lift your heads up and look around this locker room. Look at everyone else in here. And I want you to be grateful that you’re going through this sad moment with all these other folks. Because I promise you, there’s something worse out there than being sad, and that is being alone and being sad. Ain’t nobody in this room alone."

The Washington Football Team, with their 2-7 record, is not where anyone envisioned or hoped they would be at this point in the season. Most fans had hoped to see growth from Haskins and have some clarity on the team’s franchise quarterback. However, despite the issues, Rivera, the eternal optimist, is well on his way to changing the culture of this franchise and is encouraged by what’s he seen from the players:

"There’s reason for optimism. At least I am, maybe I’m overly optimistic or something. When I sit here and look at these names I go: ‘Wow, these are some young guys that are playing. These are guys that don’t have a lot of NFL experience going out there right now and gaining that NFL experience that’s going to help us.’"

I believe in Coach Rivera’s vision forward. This is a man that has so much respect from his former players that he deserves some time to turn one of the laughingstocks of the league around. What we need to understand is change takes time, and we can reference Rivera’s own experience to see that.

When he was a player, Rivera was drafted by the Bears midway through their transition under Coach Mike Ditka. In Ditka’s first season in 1982, the team finished 3-6. The following season, the team went 8-8. In 1984, the year Rivera joined the club, the Bears advanced to the NFC Championship Game before losing. The following year, the club went 15-1 and won the Super Bowl.

When Rivera joined new head coach Andy Reid’s staff as a linebackers coach, the Eagles went 5-11 and finished last in their division the first year. Within two years, the Eagles would go on to make the NFC Championship game three times.

When Rivera joined the Bears as their defensive coordinator in 2004, the team went 5-11 and finished last in their division. The following year, the Bears had the second-best defense by total yardage and ended the season 11-5. Rivera was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association, and the Bears made it to the NFC Divisional Round before losing.

In 2006, the Bears again had a top-tier defense and advanced to Super Bowl XLI before losing to the Indianapolis Colts.

Do you see a pattern? Success takes time.

Yes, losing sucks, but for as long as the Washington Football Team has experience losing, I am okay with another season of suck, if Rivera is able to turn the ship around and bring long-term success. Let’s hope the pattern continues.