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Washington Football Team: Ron Rivera’s case for Coach of the Year

By Jason Boleman

Nov 22, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 22, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

Ron Rivera should be in the Coach of the Year conversation.

On a frigid Monday evening at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Washington Football Team donned an unusual uniform combination to take on the 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Led by quarterback Alex Smith, Washington ran onto the field in all-white uniforms, in a hat-tip to the teams of the mid-aughts. Peter Hailey of NBCSports Washington reported that this was the first time Washington donned the all-white uniforms since 2009.

When asked in his Tuesday morning press conference, head coach Ron Rivera gave a simple reason on why the white-on-white uniforms made their return.

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“I was looking for a big game,” Rivera said. “When this opportunity came, I thought this was as perfect as it got.”

Rivera’s team, who were not told in advance about the return of the all-white uniforms, delivered a big performance, upsetting the Steelers 23-17. With the win, Washington improved to 5-7, tied with the New York Giants for first in the NFC East.

With Monday’s win, Rivera earned a defining victory in his first season at the helm of the Washington Football Team. Washington is two wins ahead of its win total from 2019 and now have a 35.2 percent chance of capturing the NFC East title according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Are these benchmarks enough to earn Rivera his third Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award? While not necessarily the favorite to take home the award, Rivera is quietly building a season worthy of consideration.

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