Ron Rivera was supposed to be a culture changer for the Washington Football Team when he arrived in January of 2020. Two seasons into being the Football Team head coach, Rivera looks more like his predecessor, Jay Gruden.
Through his first 32 games, Rivera now holds the exact record as Gruden did in his first two years as Washington’s head coach.
Rivera did win his first NFC East division title in Year 1, albeit with a losing record at 7-9. However, Gruden had an NFC East title in Year 2 with a 9-7 record. Gruden also had his main quarterback identified in Kirk Cousins. Rivera is still searching for an answer at QB.
Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles dropped Rivera’s team to 6-10 on the season. It’s Washington’s fifth straight losing season going back to Gruden.
This year is Rivera’s 11th as a head coach adding his nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Rivera has a losing record in eight of those seasons. Two of which ended in winning division titles.
Washington is no closer to getting back on track than it was in 2020 when Rivera took over. There is still no franchise quarterback; no wide receiver to complement Terry McLaurin; and the defense is still an eyesore. Oh and the franchise is still a cesspool behind the ownership of Dan Snyder.
Gruden coached Washington five games into his sixth season. He won 35 of his 85 games coached with just one playoff appearance. Hopefully, Rivera has a better next three-plus seasons.
