😀😀 Ron fired days ago. Mission Accomplished.😀😄

[HigSkin]

38 minutes ago, Tsailand said:

 

Hmmm now where have I heard that name before?  I recall a Jason La Canfora article about how this guy sucked and was part of the Redskins dysfunction.

 

Bob Slowik, not Bobby was our linebacker coach awhile back

[@DCGoldPants]

25 minutes ago, MartinC said:

He’s contractually entitled to his full salary for next season (unless he can be fired for cause which is very unlikely). He’s getting that $8.5M however the exit is presented.

 

[88Comrade2000]

  I don’t get this great worry about how his departure happens or what he does after he’s gone.

 

He will be fired because he has earned his firing.  What he does post Commanders is up to him.  I know some say  he had to deal with the **** of Dan. Even without all the **** that came about the team and Dan; we already were a known quantity. A bad organization that players and coaches avoided.

[Fan since a Fetus]

I’m usually messing around here, but this should be of note:

Eugene Shen and Brian Flores worked for the Dolphins for 3 years together. 2019-2021. 
 

If Eugene likes Flores, I think we may have a deep look at him. I didn’t think he should be fired from the Dolphins but he was. 
 

i wouldn’t mind if Flores was the choice. 

[BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen]

3 hours ago, NickyJ said:

He said he'd love it, not that he was going to bet his life's savings on it. We can all love things even if they're impossible. For example, @DazedSkinsfan would probably love you having a sense of humor.

I'd like to give a full endorsement to Jerruh Jones for a new head coach named Jim Zorn.

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

1 hour ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

I’m usually messing around here, but this should be of note:

Eugene Shen and Brian Flores worked for the Dolphins for 3 years together. 2019-2021. 
 

If Eugene likes Flores, I think we may have a deep look at him. I didn’t think he should be fired from the Dolphins but he was. 
 

i wouldn’t mind if Flores was the choice. 

Flores sued the Dolphins. I don’t think he’ll be our next coach. But I do really like him as a DC. But I doubt he’s our DC either.

 

Honestly, I would love a top flight offensive minded HC and Flores as our super aggressive DC. I’m sick of the bend but don’t break style that still finishes in the toilet. 

Edited December 6, 2023 by AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy

[Conn]

54 minutes ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

I’m usually messing around here, but this should be of note:

Eugene Shen and Brian Flores worked for the Dolphins for 3 years together. 2019-2021. 
 

If Eugene likes Flores, I think we may have a deep look at him. I didn’t think he should be fired from the Dolphins but he was. 
 

i wouldn’t mind if Flores was the choice. 

Flores was horrible for that locker room and almost single-handedly destroyed Tua. McDaniel had to build his confidence back up brick by brick to fix his mess. Tua has talked about it a good amount. Not at all the type of guy I’d want.

 

Also, Shen isn’t the GM. I don’t think it’s his connections we need to be looking back on. I think we’ll cast a pretty wide net and hire the GM/HC combo that sells their vision the best and has the most impressive/developed staffing plan. 

[88Comrade2000]

1 hour ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

I’m usually messing around here, but this should be of note:

Eugene Shen and Brian Flores worked for the Dolphins for 3 years together. 2019-2021. 
 

If Eugene likes Flores, I think we may have a deep look at him. I didn’t think he should be fired from the Dolphins but he was. 
 

i wouldn’t mind if Flores was the choice. 

Hell no. Tua was a semi bust under him.

Head coach needs to be from the offensive side of the ball.

[Tsailand]

9 hours ago, HigSkin said:

Bob Slowik, not Bobby was our linebacker coach awhile back

 

They were both on the team during the Shanahan era.  LaCanfora's hit piece complained that the Slowik Jr. was one of Kyle's unqualified friends dragging the organization down. 

[Riggo#44]

6 minutes ago, Tsailand said:

 

They were both on the team during the Shanahan era.  LaCanfora's hit piece complained that the Slowik Jr. was one of Kyle's unqualified friends dragging the organization down. 

For comedy and entertainment purposes only. Man do those quotes reek of Snyder/Allen leaks

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/kyle-shanahan-staff-inexperience-at-core-of-redskins-dysfunction/amp/

[KWilliamsAWinfield]

11 hours ago, DazedSkinsfan said:

I was joking,  a joke dude...lighten up 

 

Yeah right, I know you would celebrate if Rivera becomes the Cowboys coach, stop lying 

[DazedSkinsfan]

24 minutes ago, KWilliamsAWinfield said:

 

Yeah right, I know you would celebrate if Rivera becomes the Cowboys coach, stop lying 

I think we all would lol

[HigSkin]

 

[Fan since a Fetus]

11 hours ago, Conn said:

Flores was horrible for that locker room and almost single-handedly destroyed Tua. McDaniel had to build his confidence back up brick by brick to fix his mess. Tua has talked about it a good amount. Not at all the type of guy I’d want.

 

Also, Shen isn’t the GM. I don’t think it’s his connections we need to be looking back on. I think we’ll cast a pretty wide net and hire the GM/HC combo that sells their vision the best and has the most impressive/developed staffing plan. 

yeah, I get that Shen isn’t the GM. I thought he would have some valuable insight on a prospective coach.

 

i get that Tua had an issue with him and Fitz corroborated that. But outside of Tua and their owner, Ross, I haven’t heard of any issues. In fact there are some positive things said about him by Dolphins players when he left. 

 

He did lead the Dolphins to 2 winning back to back seasons out of his 3. The second season when he was fired he won 8 of his last 9 games, which sounds strangely familiar to Redskin fans
 

He was mainly fired for not meeting with “the mystery qb” because it was tampering. Ross was in the wrong, not Flores. 
 

He sued and in hindsight maybe it wasn’t the best idea, but we’ll know as time goes on. Maybe him suing will change the hiring process for the better. But like I said, Ross was wrong, the Giants most certainly used him as a token and weren’t interested and I don’t remember the Denver situation honestly. Not sure why they were involved.

 

Now back to Tua. Floyd is very smart on the field. I don’t imagine he would make the same mistake with the next qb, not saying it’s not possible. But Tua was a young qb coming off hip issues. He wasn’t looking good and Flores obviously didn’t pull punches when dealing with Tua and maybe he should’ve. 
 

I think it was a perfect storm for Tua. A generally nice person that had everything going his way until the hip issue, not being able to practice with Covid, and the general media bashing him saying he was never going to make it and he’s a bust. I imagine it probably hurt him a lot mentally. I don’t think it was just Flores. I think a young man that faced some real hardship was struggling and Flores didn’t handle the situation properly.

 

 I’m not going to avoid hiring a coach because he had an issue with a player that he claimed “didn’t work hard enough.” But, I also understand that you have to coach people differently depending on their mental traits. Some players would respond differently when called out. Tua didn’t and it’s probably not in his makeup and not the best time with all of his other struggles to do that to a young guy.

 

 Flores is doing some great things on that Vikings D. They are won off the best in the league the last several weeks. 
 

A great thing about Flores is he has shown to adapt his schemes to his opponents. Not only adapt but do it very well. A lot of people recently championed DeMeco Ryans for the same thing. 
 

i would definitely bring in Flores to talk and see how he had everyone in dealing with players that have issues. I would get to the bottom of how he would handle the Tua situation differently. 
 

depending on his answer, I would think of hiring him. I would also bring in Frank Reich to discuss the offense. I imagine bringing him in and him doing well would give us a good O-Co for quite a while to work with Howell or whoever the qb is. I don’t see him getting another HC job anytime soon. But as an offensive coordinator, I’m in.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Fan since a Fetus

[Fan since a Fetus]

11 hours ago, AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy said:

Flores sued the Dolphins. I don’t think he’ll be our next coach. But I do really like him as a DC. But I doubt he’s our DC either.

 

Honestly, I would love a top flight offensive minded HC and Flores as our super aggressive DC. I’m sick of the bend but don’t break style that still finishes in the toilet. 

 

10 hours ago, 88Comrade2000 said:

Hell no. Tua was a semi bust under him.

Head coach needs to be from the offensive side of the ball.

i saw your posts and i mainly responded to Conn, but if you read that you’ll understand how I feel.

 

i get the wanting an OC. But there have and are great defensive coaches and players that have been and are currently doing well in the NFL. Look at how DeMeco Ryans and Kevin Stefanski (has been an offensive coach but played as a dback. Look throughout history and you’ll see some great ones. I almost forgot Mike Tomlin, a guy who had never had a losing season.
 

In fact, Id be on board because a defensive coach will most likely run the ball a lot more than we do currently. With the way the NFL  is currently mapped. It could bode well for a running team with a very solid and not overpaid qb. 

[Warhead36]

3 hours ago, KWilliamsAWinfield said:

 

Yeah right, I know you would celebrate if Rivera becomes the Cowboys coach, stop lying 

I'd legit drive Ronny to Dallas myself if he became their coach. It'd be a day to celebrate.

[Conn]

43 minutes ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

yeah, I get that Shen isn’t the GM. I thought he would have some valuable insight on a prospective coach.

 

i get that Tua had an issue with him and Fitz corroborated that. But outside of Tua and their owner, Ross, I haven’t heard of any issues. In fact there are some positive things said about him by Dolphins players when he left. 

 

He did lead the Dolphins to 2 winning back to back seasons out of his 3. The second season when he was fired he won 8 of his last 9 games, which sounds strangely familiar to Redskin fans
 

He was mainly fired for not meeting with “the mystery qb” because it was tampering. Ross was in the wrong, not Flores. 
 

He sued and in hindsight maybe it wasn’t the best idea, but we’ll know as time goes on. Maybe him suing will change the hiring process for the better. But like I said, Ross was wrong, the Giants most certainly used him as a token and weren’t interested and I don’t remember the Denver situation honestly. Not sure why they were involved.

 

Now back to Tua. Floyd is very smart on the field. I don’t imagine he would make the same mistake with the next qb, not saying it’s not possible. But Tua was a young qb coming off hip issues. He wasn’t looking good and Flores obviously didn’t pull punches when dealing with Tua and maybe he should’ve. 
 

I think it was a perfect storm for Tua. A generally nice person that had everything going his way until the hip issue, not being able to practice with Covid, and the general media bashing him saying he was never going to make it and he’s a bust. I imagine it probably hurt him a lot mentally. I don’t think it was just Flores. I think a young man that faced some real hardship was struggling and Flores didn’t handle the situation properly.

 

 I’m not going to avoid hiring a coach because he had an issue with a player that he claimed “didn’t work hard enough.” But, I also understand that you have to coach people differently depending on their mental traits. Some players would respond differently when called out. Tua didn’t and it’s probably not in his makeup and not the best time with all of his other struggles to do that to a young guy.

 

 Flores is doing some great things on that Vikings D. They are won off the best in the league the last several weeks. 
 

A great thing about Flores is he has shown to adapt his schemes to his opponents. Not only adapt but do it very well. A lot of people recently championed DeMeco Ryans for the same thing. 
 

i would definitely bring in Flores to talk and see how he had everyone in dealing with players that have issues. I would get to the bottom of how he would handle the Tua situation differently. 
 

depending on his answer, I would think of hiring him. I would also bring in Frank Reich to discuss the offense. I imagine bringing him in and him doing well would give us a good O-Co for quite a while to work with Howell or whoever the qb is. I don’t see him getting another HC job anytime soon. But as an offensive coordinator, I’m in.

I don’t want to hire someone that you have to make excuses for when it comes to player relations, for me that’s that on Flores. We’ve had too much of that with our star players, contentious relationships and weird politicking. I don’t care about the rest of the stuff with tampering and Ross and the lawsuit. That’s all a separate topic for me. Flores isn’t a villain to me. I just don’t want someone who failed so spectacularly to connect with and nurture his relationship with the most important young player in the franchise. It’s disqualifying for me and shows the dinosaur mindset that I’m done with. He wasn’t adaptable. 
 

That isn’t even getting into the fact that he’s a Defensive coach. Not even on my list for HC because of that, personally. But the Tua stuff the last time he was trusted to lead a franchise was egregious enough to be worth mentioning when I originally responded. 

[Skinsinparadise]

1 minute ago, Conn said:

I don’t want to hire someone that you have to make excuses for when it comes to player relations, for me that’s that on Flores. We’ve had too much of that with our star players, contentious relationships and weird politicking. I don’t care about the rest of the stuff with tampering and Ross and the lawsuit. That’s all a separate topic for me. Flores isn’t a villain to me. I just don’t want someone who failed so spectacularly to connect with and nurture his relationship with the most important young player in the franchise. It’s disqualifying for me and shows the dinosaur mindset that I’m done with. He wasn’t adaptable. 
 

That isn’t even getting into the fact that he’s a Defensive coach. Not even on my list for HC because of that, personally. But the Tua stuff the last time he was trusted to lead a franchise was egregious enough to be worth mentioning when I originally responded. 

 

I subscribe to a few newspapers in different areas in Florida because of my job, including one that covers the Dolphins.  I recall one of the Dolphin beat reporters saying after he left that Flores is a total douche behind the scenes, berates people, not the best people skills and he's not a likeable guy.

[Commander Adama]

I know I am probably way off base, but I would love for Ron Rivera to stay on in the Front Office. Not as a GM, but in terms of turning the culture around, he has done that in spades. As a coach, he has been awful. Players have checked out, but in terms of getting rid of the malignancy that was Dan Snyder, I think he has really turned the organization around.

[ntotoro]

7 minutes ago, Commander Adama said:

I know I am probably way off base, but I would love for Ron Rivera to stay on in the Front Office. Not as a GM, but in terms of turning the culture around, he has done that in spades. As a coach, he has been awful. Players have checked out, but in terms of getting rid of the malignancy that was Dan Snyder, I think he has really turned the organization around.

 

That is true. He completely depleted the team of talent that even Coach Purple Nurple had on the roster.

[Skinsinparadise]

 Long article from Keim

 

 

 

The unraveling of the Commanders' once-stifling defense has been the biggest surprise of the season. Del Rio and Vieselmeyer took the fall, but their failures also reflect on Rivera, a former NFL linebacker and two-time defensive coordinator whose reputation had been forged on that side of the ball. Washington rebuilt the offense around Bieniemy and Howell with the hope any growing pains would be mitigated by the presence of a proven defense, one that ranked in the top 10 in just about every major category last season.

That hope had proved to be a miscalculation.

There was a feeling among players and team sources that the more Washington struggled, the more complicated its scheme became. Some players said the game plan didn't change enough; others said the rules of the defense changed and led to on-field breakdowns. Rivera and Del Rio were communicating weekly on how to improve and "everyone was on the same page," per the head coach, which is why Del Rio was at least mildly surprised by the timing of his firing.

"One game, we were out-efforted. One game, we might be outschemed. Another game, they just, little things, like a great stretch and three plays where we exhaled and lost it."

Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen

Others sensed uncertainty when Del Rio's contract was not extended last offseason beyond 2023, despite the Commanders' third-ranked total defense. Most coaches with existing deals did not get renewed, due in part to the ownership change. But this left Del Rio's future with the team murky.

Del Rio is described by team sources as fair but opinionated and "strong-willed." Rivera, as one of the sources put it, "had to do something" for defensive players who "felt defeated, didn't know how to win and didn't believe coaches knew of a way to fix what was going on."

 

"We talked a lot about things," Rivera said of his interactions with Del Rio throughout the year. "First of all, what we did schematically, I had no issue with it. It was good. It was good stuff. This was just one of those things when the snowball effect, and [the sequence in the Dallas game] before the halftime ... that was a tough pill to swallow."

Del Rio's scheme was built on discipline up front, especially within rushing lanes, and Young was known to freelance. A group defined largely by its star-studded pass rush wasn't getting enough sacks, a surprise not only because of Young and Sweat, but also handsomely paid defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

 

"The thing that's frustrating, it's not one thing," Allen said days before Del Rio was let go. "One game, we were out-efforted. One game, we might be outschemed. Another game, they just, little things, like a great stretch and three plays where we exhaled and lost it. The great defenses don't give up for a second or a play. And that's what we have to get to."

Recent contracts for Allen and Payne, coupled with the defensive line's struggles, informed the decisions to move Young and Sweat, according to front office sources. The Commanders believed it would take top dollar to retain both pass-rushers. In the case of the Sweat deal, the offer of a second-round pick -- which will likely come near the top of the round considering Chicago's 4-8 record -- was too tantalizing to turn down.

But in the four games that followed the trades, Washington allowed 122 points and recorded seven sacks without enough difference-makers among the remaining defenders.

 

The Commanders are not getting enough from their draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. While linebacker Jamin Davis (first round, 2019) and safety Kamren Curl (seventh round, 2020) have been productive, 2022 second-round tackle Phidarian Mathis has played six games in two years because of injury.

 

Rookie second-round defensive back Quan Martin played a combined 15 snaps in the first seven games; his role increased the past two games because of injuries to others. Washington's rookie class overall has not yielded an immediate impact as third-round lineman Ricky Stromberg, who played 24 snaps in the first eight games, is on injured reserve because of a right knee injury and fourth-round lineman Braeden Daniels, who struggled in camp, has been on season-long IR because of a rotator cuff injury.

 

First-round rookie corner Emmanuel Forbes impressed in the preseason but struggled when Washington asked him to cover top receivers such as the Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown and Chicago Bears' DJ Moore, assignments for which he wasn't ready. Forbes was benched for multiple games, and while he had returned to the lineup and played better, he has missed the past two games because of an elbow injury.

The decision to draft Forbes and cast him in such a prominent role was rooted in a cornerback need that arose when the team cut William Jackson III in the middle of the 2022 season. The Commanders had signed Jackson, a press-man corner, in 2021, then asked him to play zone coverages, which weren't his strong suit.

 

"He was done before he started," a scouting department source said of Jackson.

By late in the season, six of Rivera's draft picks were in the starting lineup, due in part to injuries. This was a challenge because Del Rio's scheme is considered "complicated mentally," as one team source put it. The 2022 defense had more experience.

The coordinator changes cast a pall over Rivera's future because of how much faith and responsibility he places in them. Several team sources said Rivera defers to his coordinators on decision-making, sometimes to a fault.

"Ron needed to take more ownership," one of the team sources said.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39033706/washington-commanders-crossroads-ron-rivera-eric-bieniemy-josh-harris-next

[Conn]

15 minutes ago, Commander Adama said:

I know I am probably way off base, but I would love for Ron Rivera to stay on in the Front Office. Not as a GM, but in terms of turning the culture around, he has done that in spades. As a coach, he has been awful. Players have checked out, but in terms of getting rid of the malignancy that was Dan Snyder, I think he has really turned the organization around.

Explain one way in which Rivera turned the culture around. The team is still just as unprepared, unadaptable, undisciplined, and unserious as it was under Gruden or anyone else. In many ways it’s gotten worse, actually. That’s not even getting into the lacking talent acquisition part of the job. Just locker room “culture”. Which is a disaster still. 

 

He’s not involved on the business side where the culture of fear, sexism, and harassment has changed since the scandals broke a couple years ago. That doesn’t count. The NFL would have mandated that anyways (and basically did, because Wright is essentially an NFL plant). 
 

So why are you repeating the talking point that Rivera has turned the culture around? In what ways exactly? 

[Skinsinparadise]

More

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39033706/washington-commanders-crossroads-ron-rivera-eric-bieniemy-josh-harris-next

 

But with Washington sitting at 26-36-1 during his tenure, questions about Rivera's ability to maximize the team's ability persist. Rivera often begins meetings with three words that serve as team pillars: "Attitude. Preparation. Effort." Feeling the mantra was ringing hollow, Rivera stopped using it this season, a team source said.

"For whatever reason, the players just didn't seem to be fired up this year," one front-office source said of Rivera's motivational impact.

That source also noted Rivera showed more fire on the sidelines around the midseason mark. "I see him getting into huddles, talking to players, getting on referees. He senses the urgency."

A few weeks back, coming off the ugly loss to the Giants, Rivera showed the team clips from early in the season of good practice habits. Sensing a team losing its edge, Rivera sent a clear message: This is what we do and how we work.

"Just reminding us what we can do when we do things the right way and how good as a team we can be," Allen said. "I think [it resonated]."

 

Sunday's 45-15 home loss to the Miami Dolphins, in which the Commanders were not competitive, casts doubt on that contention.

Multiple team sources said they believe Rivera is at peace with his tenure, a theme he alluded to in a Week 11 news conference.

"S---, I've been through enough," Rivera said. "The last 3½ years has not been easy. Anyone who thinks it's been easy, the hell with them. I'll be honest. That's how I feel about the last three years. It's been a lot. We've done a lot, we've had our moments. The thing that feels good at the end of the day and the questions that need to be asked: Is the culture better, and have we found the quarterback? That's all I can control. Our guys will show up and play hard to the bitter end, and we'll see what happens."

 

The futures of key figures inside the front office, meanwhile, are uncertain at best. Multiple sources with the team and sources close to those on the chopping block said wholesale changes from the top down are possible, if not likely.

Mayhew, who won a Super Bowl as a player with Washington in the early '90s, is a well-respected executive with general manager experience with the Commanders and Lions. He has worked closely alongside Rivera since 2021.

 

Hurney filled that same role for Rivera in Carolina, then came to Washington as a key figure in player evaluations. Senior director of player personnel Eric Stokes also came from Carolina.

 

As one source close to the team wondered from the FedEx Field sideline before the Week 5 loss to the Bears, "Do you think [Harris] paid $6 billion for the former Carolina regime?"

 

That begs another question: What exactly will Harris be looking for in a head coach and front office? Several league sources wonder whether Harris will emphasize analytics with his choices, similar to the model he favored in choosing Daryl Morey as GM of the 76ers. In late October, Harris hired Eugene Shen to head the Commanders' analytics department.

 

But the owner has shown he values a balance of analytics and on-field experience, such as the Morey-Elton Brand setup in Philly or the way his Devils general manager, former NHL player Tom Fitzgerald, is supported by a strong analytics department.

Minority owner Magic Johnson also figures to be prominent in the Commanders' future. People in the building have seen the former NBA legend around multiple times since Harris took over, and it is not believed he'll be content with serving in a low-visibility or low-impact role.

 

"A lot of arithmetic working right now," one team official said. "You'll see improvements, probably some new people in the building, all over the operation."

Four games remain for the front office, Rivera and his remaining players and coaches to prove themselves.

The final two will come at FedEx Field against the San Francisco 49ers and the Cowboys, a pair of NFC teams headed for the playoffs and emblematic of the results Commanders fans expect Harris to deliver.

"Everyone is always being evaluated," Allen said. "We're playing for our jobs. There's going to be a lot of change, which there is every year."

[Commander Adama]

3 minutes ago, Conn said:

Explain one way in which Rivera turned the culture around. The team is still just as unprepared, unadaptable, undisciplined, and unserious as it was under Gruden or anyone else. In many ways it’s gotten worse, actually. That’s not even getting into the lacking talent acquisition part of the job. Just locker room “culture”. Which is a disaster still. 

 

He’s not involved on the business side where the culture of fear, sexism, and harassment has changed since the scandals broke a couple years ago. That doesn’t count. The NFL would have mandated that anyways (and basically did, because Wright is essentially an NFL plant). 
 

So why are you repeating the talking point that Rivera has turned the culture around? In what ways exactly? 

Like I said, as a coach, he was horrible. What you are talking about is from a coaching stand point. I am talking about the changes made throughout the facility to where it used to be a cesspool to something that was resembling an organization. I believe he was involved on the business side along with Jason Wright. Was he not?

Edited December 6, 2023 by Commander Adama

[Redwards]

8 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 Long article from Keim

 

 

 

The unraveling of the Commanders' once-stifling defense has been the biggest surprise of the season. Del Rio and Vieselmeyer took the fall, but their failures also reflect on Rivera, a former NFL linebacker and two-time defensive coordinator whose reputation had been forged on that side of the ball. Washington rebuilt the offense around Bieniemy and Howell with the hope any growing pains would be mitigated by the presence of a proven defense, one that ranked in the top 10 in just about every major category last season.

That hope had proved to be a miscalculation.

There was a feeling among players and team sources that the more Washington struggled, the more complicated its scheme became. Some players said the game plan didn't change enough; others said the rules of the defense changed and led to on-field breakdowns. Rivera and Del Rio were communicating weekly on how to improve and "everyone was on the same page," per the head coach, which is why Del Rio was at least mildly surprised by the timing of his firing.

"One game, we were out-efforted. One game, we might be outschemed. Another game, they just, little things, like a great stretch and three plays where we exhaled and lost it."

Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen

Others sensed uncertainty when Del Rio's contract was not extended last offseason beyond 2023, despite the Commanders' third-ranked total defense. Most coaches with existing deals did not get renewed, due in part to the ownership change. But this left Del Rio's future with the team murky.

Del Rio is described by team sources as fair but opinionated and "strong-willed." Rivera, as one of the sources put it, "had to do something" for defensive players who "felt defeated, didn't know how to win and didn't believe coaches knew of a way to fix what was going on."

 

"We talked a lot about things," Rivera said of his interactions with Del Rio throughout the year. "First of all, what we did schematically, I had no issue with it. It was good. It was good stuff. This was just one of those things when the snowball effect, and [the sequence in the Dallas game] before the halftime ... that was a tough pill to swallow."

Del Rio's scheme was built on discipline up front, especially within rushing lanes, and Young was known to freelance. A group defined largely by its star-studded pass rush wasn't getting enough sacks, a surprise not only because of Young and Sweat, but also handsomely paid defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

 

"The thing that's frustrating, it's not one thing," Allen said days before Del Rio was let go. "One game, we were out-efforted. One game, we might be outschemed. Another game, they just, little things, like a great stretch and three plays where we exhaled and lost it. The great defenses don't give up for a second or a play. And that's what we have to get to."

Recent contracts for Allen and Payne, coupled with the defensive line's struggles, informed the decisions to move Young and Sweat, according to front office sources. The Commanders believed it would take top dollar to retain both pass-rushers. In the case of the Sweat deal, the offer of a second-round pick -- which will likely come near the top of the round considering Chicago's 4-8 record -- was too tantalizing to turn down.

But in the four games that followed the trades, Washington allowed 122 points and recorded seven sacks without enough difference-makers among the remaining defenders.

 

The Commanders are not getting enough from their draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. While linebacker Jamin Davis (first round, 2019) and safety Kamren Curl (seventh round, 2020) have been productive, 2022 second-round tackle Phidarian Mathis has played six games in two years because of injury.

 

Rookie second-round defensive back Quan Martin played a combined 15 snaps in the first seven games; his role increased the past two games because of injuries to others. Washington's rookie class overall has not yielded an immediate impact as third-round lineman Ricky Stromberg, who played 24 snaps in the first eight games, is on injured reserve because of a right knee injury and fourth-round lineman Braeden Daniels, who struggled in camp, has been on season-long IR because of a rotator cuff injury.

 

First-round rookie corner Emmanuel Forbes impressed in the preseason but struggled when Washington asked him to cover top receivers such as the Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown and Chicago Bears' DJ Moore, assignments for which he wasn't ready. Forbes was benched for multiple games, and while he had returned to the lineup and played better, he has missed the past two games because of an elbow injury.

The decision to draft Forbes and cast him in such a prominent role was rooted in a cornerback need that arose when the team cut William Jackson III in the middle of the 2022 season. The Commanders had signed Jackson, a press-man corner, in 2021, then asked him to play zone coverages, which weren't his strong suit.

 

"He was done before he started," a scouting department source said of Jackson.

By late in the season, six of Rivera's draft picks were in the starting lineup, due in part to injuries. This was a challenge because Del Rio's scheme is considered "complicated mentally," as one team source put it. The 2022 defense had more experience.

The coordinator changes cast a pall over Rivera's future because of how much faith and responsibility he places in them. Several team sources said Rivera defers to his coordinators on decision-making, sometimes to a fault.

"Ron needed to take more ownership," one of the team sources said.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39033706/washington-commanders-crossroads-ron-rivera-eric-bieniemy-josh-harris-next

This really shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone who could take off the rose-colored glasses for a moment.   This defense has proved for the past three years it was a paper tiger.  Whenever they had to play anyone of merit, they just looked much worse and ineffective most of the time.  

 

Heck, I've been saying for over two years that this defense was a fraud, and I said before the season started that no one should be surprised to see this defense be the weak link of the team while the offense steps up a bit.  

 

I think people like Keim, Finlay, etc., as smart as they are, are just way too close to this team to view them objectively enough.  It's understandable when you are always around the team, but damn.  NO ONE should be surprised with what has happened to this defense.