Commanders news: Adam Peters, Ron Rivera, John Lynch and QB chatter
By Dean Jones
Ron Rivera reflects on Commanders' exit
Nobody was surprised to see head coach Ron Rivera relieved of his duties once their Week 18 game against the Dallas Cowboys concluded. His fourth-straight losing campaign was confirmed long before. Josh Harris' ownership group had no alternative other than to hit the reset button.
Rivera revealed to John Keim of ESPN he's got several opportunities to make an immediate return to coaching, perhaps in a defensive coordinator role. He was also keen to take something from an otherwise disastrous season that proved to be the final nail in his proverbial coffin.
"Sometimes you do have to take a step back. You take a step back you learn and grow from it. It's like I told other players, if you look at this year as a lost year, you're [hurting] yourself. You should look at it as a year to learn and understand why things happen. This was probably the greatest learning experience I've had in a while this year. I mean, a lot of things came to light at certain times this past season that I think going forward will really help me."
- Ron Rivera via ESPN
While his previous credentials as a defensive play-caller should warrant consideration from elsewhere, the Commanders didn't make strides when he took over responsibilities once Jack Del Rio became surplus to requirements. However, a lot of the blame should be placed on the playing personnel, who didn't meet the lofty heights expected before competitive games began.
It'll be interesting to see where Rivera ends up next. We wish him well.