Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera will serve as the team’s defensive coordinator for the final five games this season. On Friday, one day after Washington’s 45-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Rivera fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and secondary coach Brent Vieselmeyer.
Rivera, who made his name in the coaching world as a defensive coordinator before taking over as Carolina coach in 2011, would serve as Washington’s defensive play-caller for the remainder of the season.
While it would be tough for Rivera to make massive changes to the defense this late in the season, there are things that he will do to potentially help the Commanders improve on that side of the ball.
“Well, I think some of the things that we need to look at obviously is just creating those opportunities for the players to be successful, paring down some of the things that we’ve done from the past, and just trying to get them to play fast,” Rivera said Monday.
How can Rivera pare the defense down?
“Well, I think eliminating some of the tools, the checks that we’ve used in the past and just really almost to a point where, ‘Hey, you draw them, you write them.'”
One issue that plagued the Commanders at times under Del Rio was the constant communication issues in the secondary. After playing well last season, more was expected in 2023, particularly after Washington spent a first-round pick on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and a second-round pick on cornerback/safety Quan Martin.
Instead of taking a step forward, Washington’s secondary has been terrible in 2023.
With respected defensive leaders like defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and cornerback Kendall Fuller, did Rivera consult with them ahead of taking over as defensive play-caller?
“That is one thing you do is you most certainly want to make sure you talk to specific guys,” Rivera said. “And that’s what I did on Friday and on Saturday and then today.”
Rivera has a difficult first assignment in his expanded role. The Commanders host the explosive Miami Dolphins in Week 13. Miami’s explosive offense is led by wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, both of whom could have huge games against Washington’s struggling secondary.