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

Rivera’s chances at Coach of the Year

Between the revolving door at signal-caller, the improved defensive performance, and the emergence of Gibson as a true lead running back, Rivera has taken a team with low expectations and brought excitement to Washington D.C.

Rivera has accomplished these goals all while battling cancer. Diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in August, Rivera coached throughout treatment, never missing a game. During treatment, Rivera would receive IV treatment in the locker room at halftime, most notably during Washington’s come-from-behind victory against the Eagles in September.

On Oct. 26, Rivera completed his cancer treatment, one day after Washington defeated the Dallas Cowboys 25-3.

Rivera faces an uphill battle in the Coach of the Year race. Aside from Bruce Arians’ win as an interim coach in 2012, every winner since 1991 has double-digit victories.

While Washington is in a weak division and will be lacking in the win column, few coaches have exceeded expectations quicker this season than Rivera. Coupled with the health challenges Rivera faced early in the season, no coach has battled through adversity this season quite like Ron Rivera.

While some may be looking at Rivera’s Coach of the Year chances, he is focused on one thing. Winning. And Rivera says the next few games will test his team’s character.

“This is going to be a tough stretch. This is going to be about our character, this is about our culture and how we handle these types of situations,” Rivera said.