Commanders News: Ron Rivera, Eric Bieniemy, London Fletcher and power rankings

Ron Rivera's biggest challenge

Ron Rivera has a lot on his plate right now. Firing defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio had been a long time coming, but the head coach must now try to muster some improvements on that side of the football in the hope it can alter his inevitable fate once the campaign concludes.

Rivera has a new set of challenges to overcome. When discussing this exact topic in front of the media, the head coach stated via Sports Illustrated that maintaining focus amid the turmoil represents a tough yet attainable objective.

"I think the biggest challenge, more than anything else, is just keeping them focused, keeping them right where they need to be and understanding that what we're doing is trying to create opportunities, and we'll see what happens."

- Ron Rivera via Sports Illustrated

Some established stars on the Commanders are not covering themselves in glory on defense. Jonathan Allen's underperformed, Daron Payne hasn't lived up to his lofty contract extension, and Benjamin St-Juste is also going through complications in coverage as demonstrated by a Dallas Cowboys passing attack that identified the cornerback as a weak link immediately.

Just how much Rivera can change things with such a short timeframe before taking on the juggernaut Miami Dolphins offense remains to be seen. But it's another fascinating dynamic to monitor closely this weekend.