Ron Rivera feels no team wants to play his red hot Washington Football Team. Sunday, Washington defeated the San Francisco 49ers 23-15 for their fourth straight win to move into first place of the NFC East.
Now, Washington (6-7) controls its own destiny towards winning their first division title since 2015 and making the playoffs.
Like much of the season, Washington was carried by its vaunted defense against the 49ers led by their highly-talented defensive line. Star rookie defensive end Chase Young had a sack, forced fumble and returned a fumble recovery 47 yards for a touchdown. Fellow rookie, safety Kamren Curl sealed the win with a 76-yard pick-six.
Following the win, Rivera told his team they earned the right to be in first place.
“Nobody, I repeat, nobody wants to play us right now,” Rivera proclaimed during the postgame speech.
Rivera may be right. Washington has soared forward winning in impressive fashion the last four games. Before beating the 49ers, Washington rallied to beat the Cincinnati Bengals. They thumped the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Then, stunned the NFL world, handing the previously undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers their first loss of the season last week.
Washington has three games remaining in the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks, Rivera’s former team the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles, who Washington beat in Week 1. The way Washington has played, the expectations and perception of the team has altered. There are few teams eager to play them right now.
