The Washington Commanders went undefeated in the preseason, and the regular season doesn’t start until Sept. 10, but head coach Ron Rivera continues to take Ls by putting his foot in his mouth.
Earlier in August, Rivera inexplicably revealed some players became “frustrated” by the coaching tactics of new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Rivera’s comments created a media firestorm, forcing Rivera later to admit “I put my foot in my mouth.”
Three weeks later, Rivera is behind another baffling comment about quarterback Sam Howell.
Rivera spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. In his conversation, Rivera stated he was impressed by Howell’s performance in his first NFL game, a Week 18 game win last season against the Cowboys. So much so Rivera acknowledged that had he known Howell would play that well, he’d played him sooner.
“You can ask Stephanie, all we f—ing talked about was the quarterback, what the quarterback did, who he was,” Rivera said, sitting on his office couch on another steamy August day. “I kept saying, F—, if I would have known this, I would have played him sooner. When you only have so much time to show it, it’s hard, I kept thinking, God … but after that game, everything told me this kid, give him the opportunity and see what he does with it.”
Considering how the season unfolded, it’s a baffling admission. Washington entered last year with Carson Wentz as the starter, playing on his third team in three years.
Why didn’t Ron Rivera play Sam Howell sooner?
Even when Wentz went down with a broken finger, Rivera turned to Heinicke to start nine games. Howell, a fifth-round rookie last year, got the bump to backup. However, despite turning heads in practice, Howell did not play in the first 16 games of the season.
It wasn’t until he got an unimaginable endorsement from Heinicke that Rivera turned to Howell to start the season’s finale against the Cowboys.
By then, Heinicke struggled. Wentz returned and started a game the week prior against the Cleveland Browns with Washington’s playoff hopes on the line.
Wentz threw three interceptions, and the Commanders lost, eliminating them from playoff contention. An aspect that Rivera wasn’t aware of at the time.
It was one game, but Howell showed a glimpse of his potential. He threw for 169 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He also ran for 35 yards and a touchdown, and the Commanders won convincingly 26-6 against its NFC East rivals.
Rivera ultimately told Howell he would have every chance to be the QB1 entering the 2023 season. Wentz was released. Heinicke signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
Not going to Howell, a fifth-round rookie, isn’t the issue. The Commanders were in a playoff race. The team had hoped for its $28.3 million QB to lead them there. Not turning to an inexperienced QB at the time seemed logical. A point Rivera pointed out on Tuesday.
But admitting he wished he played Howell earlier becomes a story. That’s especially when fans were longing for Howell to get a chance, even in the midst of a playoff race. There was no need to reveal that part, just like his comments about Bieniemy. Rivera is throwing his own fire to the flames.
This offseason, Washington brought in Jacoby Brissett to compete against Howell. But from the onset, it was clear Howell wasn’t relinquishing the job. Still, Rivera hesitated to name him the Week 1 starter against the Arizona Cardinals until Aug. 18 after insisting that Brissett was still a factor.
Ron Rivera continues to add heat to his seat
Ron Rivera is sitting on the hot seat entering his fourth year as the Washington Commanders head coach. After three disappointing seasons, one in which they somehow won the NFC East divisional title despite a 7-9 record, any hiccups in 2023 could open the door for his dismissal, especially with new ownership.
Ultimately, wins and losses on the field will decide Rivera’s future in Washington. Yet, Rivera isn’t making himself endearing to some fans with his consistently startling comments.
He’s also faced criticism with his injury updates on players. Remember the Curtis Samuel debacle in 2021? Rivera also kept fans puzzled with Chase Young’s updates last year.
His fumbles on the record are surprising, considering Rivera is entering his 13th season as an NFL head coach. There’s a difference between not lying, being truthful, and being confounded.
If the losses continue piling up on the field, those fumbles on the mic and record will be laminated.
