Should Ron Rivera be on the hot seat? Why the critics are wrong

It’s sad to see how quickly a 56-14 blowout loss can wipe out all the goodwill Ron Rivera has built up with this fanbase since taking over as head coach.

How quickly we forget just how much of a dumpster fire the “damn good” culture in Washington was before Rivera took over.

How quickly we forget that Rivera led this franchise to only its third division title in the past 20 seasons. Yes, the team won in a weak NFC East with a losing record, but it was a major improvement from the 3-13 record in 2019.

Nevermind the fact that Rivera was battling cancer, yet was still on the sidelines, putting his players first. He was there taking questions from the media about the franchise’s sexual harassment allegations that occurred prior to him becoming head coach, while Dan Snyder cowered away. He was dealt the hand of having to start Dwayne Haskins, which spectacularly failed, before replacing him with Kyle Allen, a one-legged Alex Smith, and finally Taylor Heinicke.

The fact that this team made the playoffs at all last year is a testament to how much of an impact Rivera has had on this franchise. And let’s not forget that this 7-9 team that snuck into the playoffs went toe to toe with the future Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.

Yet, less than two seasons into Rivera’s tenure and the fanbase already losing hope. I mean, look at the comments on the tweet below.

Ron Rivera’s value goes far beyond his win-loss record

Yes, Coach Rivera has had seven losing seasons out of 10, but that stat is a bit deceptive. Rivera also has had five playoff appearances in those ten seasons. He won Coach of the Year twice in 2013 and 2015 and led the Panthers to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. To top it off, he finished as the winningest coach in Panthers’ team history.

Thus far in Washington, he has amassed a 13-18 record, while dealing with much more than any coach should be tasked to handle.

The Dan Snyder drama added another chapter this year, but in addition to that, Washington suffered one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the NFL, leading to Garrett Gilbert starting at quarterback four days after signing with the team. Yet Washington still had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. The fact that this game wasn’t a Cowboys-esque blowout shows how hard this team will play for Rivera, regardless of the situation.

Off the field, the team suffered losses too with safety Deshazor Everett being involved in a major car accident where his passenger passed away, with linebacker Jamin Davis and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste driving in a car not far behind him. Less than a week later, Montez Sweat’s brother was killed in a shooting in Richmond.

And let’s not forget the numerous injuries Washington has dealt with throughout the season with top weapons, Logan Thomas and J.D. McKissic missing time, Antonio Gibson playing through a stress fracture, Curtis Samuels barely making it onto the field at all, and the offensive line utilizing third- and fourth-stringers. That’s not an optimal spot to be in when trying to make a second consecutive playoff run, but here we are.

Yes, the fight on the sideline between Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne during the Cowboys game did not make for the best optics but when emotions are running high, stuff happens. When you see the grip of a playoff spot slowly slipping away, frustration boils over. But that doesn’t mean Rivera has lost the team.

His comments after the game are the reason why this team is behind him. He sees the humanity in his athletes and he knows life goes much deeper than what happens on the field.

"“You have to deal with those things, and it’s tough. It’s not easy to try to separate and compartmentalize situations like that. It spills over. It’s human nature.”“These guys are more than just robots. These guys have feelings. These are players; these are people. They got a teammate going through something right now. It’s tough. You have an opportunity, and you don’t have everybody playing. That’s hard on them. That’s not normal shit. That’s real-life shit, and that’s what they’re dealing with. These are young men, and we’re just trying to help them along the way.”"

That quote epitomizes everything Washington has been lacking for so many years. What the team needs is a leader, someone who will continue to change the culture. But culture alone is not enough, the team will need to solve the quarterback conundrum once and for all.

Not many coaches can have sustained success without a franchise quarterback. Bill Belichick had a losing record in five of his first six seasons before the team uncovered a gem in Tom Brady. Before Brady took over, Belichick was 41-57 for a .418 winning percentage, which surprisingly enough is the same winning percentage as Rivera has with Washington currently.

In games where Tom Brady wasn’t his quarterback, Belichick’s record with the Patriots is an unimpressive 34-34.

Rivera deserves a chance to find his quarterback and continue to put his fingerprints on this organization. There is no savior that will come in on a white horse and turn this franchise around. Since Dan Snyder took over the franchise, 10 different head coaches have led the team, and only Joe Gibbs and Marty Schottenheimer have had better winning percentages than Rivera currently has.

Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Matt LaFleur got the hell out of Ashburn as soon as they could. Rivera came in knowing about the dysfunction and he has stayed and handled it well. What will he be able to do with a new team name and a new quarterback at the helm? 2022 will be the true proving ground.