Commanders coach Ron Rivera gets brutally honest amid unclear future with Washington

Riverboat Ron Rivera’s time aboard the Washington Commanders ship may soon be coming to a disappointing end

The man we have affectionately come to call ‘Riverboat Ron’ may just be up s***’s creek without a paddle.

Ron Rivera’s tenure as the head coach of the Washington Commanders has not netted the results he or those within the Commanders organization must’ve imagined when he was hired ahead of the 2020 season. In the now three-plus seasons that Rivera has spent in D.C., the Commanders have gone 26-33-1 with only one playoff appearance as a 7-9 division winner to show for it.

Today during his media availability, when Ron Rivera was asked about whether he had thought much about his future has the head coach in Washington, he offered up a response that would only come from a man who knows just how bleak his future really is (h/t Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post).

“I understand the situation and circumstances, but I’m not going to waver on anything. I’ll stick to the what I talked about in the spring and that was the growth and development of the quarterback and the offensive unit. I think with what we’re doing and how we’re doing things. it’s kind of the progression of how it would be. My big disappointment has been we haven’t played as well on defense that we’ve needed to. Does that make my job security shaky? It could. I mean, I have no idea what Mr. Harris is going to do.”

Ron Rivera has no future with the Washington Commanders. We can consider that a sad reality all we want, but it’s the truth. The new ownership group, led by Josh Harris, will likely clean house all throughout the front office and coaching staff, as they’ve already started to do so with the roster.

As for what may be next for Rivera, I have no clue. He’s very well-respected within the NFL, but in 13 seasons as an NFL head coach, his 102-96-2 record screams ‘average coach!’ So while it wouldn’t surprise me if the 61-year-old Rivera landed another job within an NFL organization, I would be surprised if he got a third crack at a head coaching job.

Rest-Of-Season Outlook: Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders Have Slightly Underperformed Preseason Expectations, But What Is Their Outlook For The Rest Of The Season?

As outlined in an earlier article this week, the Washington Commanders have performed at, or slightly below, preseason expectations to this point. Ten games is a valid sample size and provides an indication as to the level of play that fans can expect moving forward. With seven games remaining, the schedule can be separated into three distinct stretches of match-ups. Washington will likely be favorites in only three of the seven games but must win at least five to have a realistic chance at a playoff berth. Here is a glance at Washington’s rest-of-season outlook:

Washington Commanders Rest-of-Season Outlook

Before the Bye:

Week 11: vs. New York Giants

Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 13: vs. Miami Dolphins

This string of games is very similar to the most recent stretch against the Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks. The Commanders almost certainly won’t go 0-3 or 3-0, but the difference between one and two wins is monumental. A loss to Tommy DeVito and the Giants could send owner Josh Harris on a firing spree, which could be a blessing in disguise, but it’s hard to imagine that happening.

If Washington beats New York, it could set up for a season-defining match-up against the rival Cowboys on Thanksgiving night. I predicted a one-point loss to Dallas before the season but wouldn’t be surprised if we get some Howell Heroics for the second straight year. Whatever the total is for the Dolphins game: take the over. Miami has the most explosive offense in the NFL and the Commanders aren’t stopping anybody.

Road Favorites:

Week 15: at Los Angeles Rams

Week 16: at New York Jets

This is a similar pairing of games as the Commanders faced in Weeks 6 and 7. On the road for back-to-back match-ups against teams they should beat, Washington split the pairing against the Falcons and Giants. That could easily happen again. Matthew Stafford is slated to return from injury this week and Aaron Rodgers is reportedly gearing up for an unprecedented recovery from his ruptured Achilles.

However, it’s unlikely that the NFC’s 12th-place Rams and AFC’s 13th-place Jets will be in the playoff hunt. By the time these games are played, both teams might have shut down multiple key contributors for the season. Regardless, Washington is the best team of the three. The Commanders are currently two full games behind the Vikings for the 7th seed in the playoffs; they must beat both the Rams and Jets to have a chance at the postseason.

Home Underdogs

Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 18: vs. Dallas Cowboys

The final two games are the complete opposite of the previous two. The Commanders finish the season at home against two of the NFC’s elite and will have bad blood with both. After an uncharacteristic three-game skid, the 49ers appear to have righted the ship in the short term. Chase Young will return to D.C. for the first time since the trade deadline and since his scathing comments about the culture in Washington. San Francisco isn’t invincible, but the pass rush discrepancy between these two teams will be tough to overcome.

Washington will probably find a way to split the two match-ups with Dallas. Commanders fans can hope that the Cowboys will have secured their playoff seed and could rest some starters. But it’s no guarantee. Unless the defense makes some drastic improvements, the Commanders will more than likely fall short of the final wildcard spot. Their rest-of-season outlook depends on internal progression and heating up at the right time.