Washington Football Team studs and duds from Thanksgiving 2020 win
By Ian Cummings
Stud No. 6 – Ron Rivera and the coaching staff
Okay, I’m starting to get a little full, but I’ll take another bite of crow, just for you guys. You may remember that I picked the Washington Football Team to lose to Dallas on Thanksgiving. I though it would be a close game, but I didn’t like how Washington had responded to wins so far this season, and with Dallas seemingly making strides in previous weeks, I thought they’d look closer to how they were supposed to look before the season.
In that prediction, I vastly underestimated Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team’s coaching staff. The team did come out flat again, but they quickly rebounded and maintained a lead through two quarters. They did what they had to in order to keep control through the third quarter, and in the final stanza, they turned on the jets, and pulled away with ease.
In this Thanksgiving showing, Rivera’s team showed toughness, focus, selflessness, and all of the other qualities you hope to see from a young team faced with an opportunity. Rivera’s team finally rose to the challenge and won a must-win game decisively. Scott Turner called a brilliant, calculated game on offense. Jack Del Rio mercilessly eroded Dallas’ offensive confidence.
The Washington Football Team hasn’t often been a positive example in this regard, but we can now say with proud conviction: This is what good coaching looks like. And if it stays, Washington might remain atop the NFC East.