Tag: Jack Del Rio

Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio in agreement on LB play

Ron Rivera agrees with Jack Del Rio’s comments from Thursday but remains positive and excited about Jamin Davis.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera may have surprised some of the media Friday, but he made himself absolutely clear.

Rivera was asked if he saw defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio’s comments Thursday concerning Commanders’ linebacker Jamin Davis. In addition, he was asked if those comments “were necessary to get some better play out of Jamin?”

Though the two sharply disagreed earlier this year resulting in Del Rio being fined, in this instance, Rivera made it clear from the outset that he and Del Rio are on the same page regarding the play of the second-year linebacker out of Kentucky. Shouldn’t they be? They both were NFL linebackers, linebacker coaches, defensive coordinators and head coaches.

“Well, I think we know that Jack’s honest and it’s an honest assessment. You know, the guy (Davis) did have a really good training camp. He played very well and we would like to see him play better. I don’t disagree with it. Jamin played hard. He gave a great effort, but let’s play smarter. Let’s understand that we gotta use our techniques. I talked about it. We put him in a tough position, but we think he can do it. Now, use the technique and make that guy go up and around. Don’t lose your leverage. Those are the things that I think Jack was a little frustrated with because he had a good camp and he did play well.”

Rivera was then asked regarding Davis’ struggles against Jacksonville in Week 1.

“Going up against somebody a little bit different, some things that you anticipate certain things happening, but something else happens. Well, then you’ve gotta react and fall back to your techniques and he didn’t. But that tells us that we’ve gotta continue to work with him and continue to put him in positions where he can have success.”

Rivera spoke of sometimes inexperienced players can inadvertently have the game’s excitement result in their missing their techniques. “The excitement of the game. The way things happen, and it’s gonna happen. And it’s a thing where you just continue to rep it, continue to work it and continue to develop your craft and your skill.”

“I think that (the technique) was probably the biggest thing. If you sit there and you watch him, he backs up a little bit, opens up the underneath and the guy takes it. Now, if he pops his feet, stays active, plants that inside leg, and forces him up over the top, that’s exactly what we’re hoping to get out of that situation. It’s just, those are little detail things that you’ve gotta continue to develop and grow as a player. And at that point, that would’ve been a good opportunity to show the growth that we’re looking for and expecting from him.”

Rivera likened Davis to one of linebackers in Carolina years ago.
“We had a player in Carolina, [LB] Thomas Davis, who arguably could be a Hall of Famer, but you look at the beginning of his career and he made a lot of mistakes. There were a lot of things that he had to learn and grow through, and fight through the injuries that he had. But, you see the same thing when you watch Jamin, you see the little detail things that he doesn’t quite get right now. But as he continues to work at it, and continues to grow and continues to develop, his skill set is gonna translate because the young man has good quickness, he’s got good speed and he’s got good natural strength. It’s just a matter of time.”

Rivera also was clear that he and Del Rio expect more from Davis now in his second year.

“The expectations are higher. You know what I’m saying? And those are our expectations. So, our expectations shouldn’t be higher than his. He should be wanting to be perfect every time. We just wanna make sure he understands and again, I have no issue with what Jack said, because again first of all, it’s just his honest assessment. Secondly, I agree with him. I agree that the young man had a good camp and I thought he played well in the preseason. I expect him to go out and do those things. Again, if it’s a base fundamental thing, issue like that, like it was, let’s get those corrected, don’t repeat the mistakes.”

 

 

Jack Del Rio on Jamin Davis: ‘It was just a so-so performance’ in Week 1

Is Del Rio sending a message to Davis, or is this tough love?

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio did not sound impressed with second-year linebacker Jamin Davis’ performance in Week 1.

In speaking with reporters after Thursday’s practice, Del Rio spoke candidly when he was asked about Davis.

“Jamin was just okay in the game,” Del Rio answered. “I think he practiced better throughout the offseason. It was just a so-so performance. I think he’ll do better as the year goes on.”

Ouch.

Was Del Rio sending a message to the young linebacker, or is he that visibly frustrated?

In rewatching Washington’s Week 1 game, Davis did struggle at times. Despite his outstanding athleticism, he struggled badly in coverage. He was also matched up with Jacksonville wide receiver Christian Kirk once, which wasn’t his fault.

The coaches praised Davis throughout the offseason. The No. 19 overall pick in 2021 was initially slated to be Washington’s mike linebacker, but it was clear early that the Commanders misevaluated Davis’ fit there. Therefore, Davis moved back outside and showed flashes last season. The coaches were hoping his strong summer would translate to the actual games.

In a follow-up question, Del Rio was specifically asked about Davis being matched up with a wide receiver on specific plays.

“Yeah, kind of a combination,” Del Rio said. “Wouldn’t want to live in that look. They got to it on a time or two, and when we do get to it, we expect them to hold up. He didn’t hold up very well in that situation. Gave up some big completions. We need him to be better, and we need to do a little bit better job making sure we keep him out of some of those situations.”

Del Rio is right. Davis needs to be better. But Del Rio also needs to be better. Del Rio is a former NFL linebacker, as is head coach Ron Rivera. If they can’t get through to Davis, is that a coaching failure? It’s not Davis’ fault he went in the first round.

All eyes will be on Davis this weekend.

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Ron Rivera frustrated: ‘You have to do your job’

Ron Rivera was frustrated after Washington’s preseason loss to the Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs had just scored their second consecutive touchdown when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found tight end Jody Fortson for a seven-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-0 lead over the Washington Commanders.

That play stuck with Washington head coach Ron Rivera.

After the Chiefs’ 24-14 win over the Commanders, Rivera spoke to the media and discussed the scoring play from his perspective.

We have one guy coming off the edge, and we have someone else that is not setting the edge, so the quarterback steps aside,” Rivera said. “The touchdown pass was a great example, and that was the big disappointment, you know the second touchdown pass that Mahomes threw. We had great pressure coming off the back side, and the defensive end gets upfield and doesn’t get to his level and washes up and over. Mahomes just steps where he was and buys time, and he is able to stretch it a little bit and got away from Montez (Sweat). Montez was coming off the backside, and you have to stick to the process. You have to do your job.”

Ouch.

Here is the play.

You can see why Rivera was frustrated by watching both defensive ends on the play. This happened far too often last year from all of Washington’s edge rushers.

To make matters worse, it was third and goal on the play. Washington’s issues on third down are well documented. Plays like this, where one player doesn’t do his job — in Rivera’s words — are why the Commanders struggle to get off the field on third down.

If the Commanders can’t find a way to solve their third-down woes in 2022, it will be a long season. And the problem doesn’t lie on Sweat; it’s the entire defense, from coordinator Jack Del Rio to all his players.

Best Twitter reactions from Commanders’ preseason loss to Chiefs

Carson Wentz? Jack Del Rio? Washington’s defense? Some of the best Twitter reactions from Washington’s loss to the Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Washington Commanders 24-14 in week two of NFL preseason action. When Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes departed the game midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs led the Commanders 14-0.

Washington didn’t get on the scoreboard until seconds were left in the first half when backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke led an impressive 11-play, 84-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Cam Sims.

Washington’s first-team offense did some good things with quarterback Carson Wentz but couldn’t sustain drives. One specific play — his last — will haunt Wentz and led to plenty of “I told you so’s” on Twitter from all of the social media GMs.

Speaking of Twitter, there were plenty of jokes on Washington’s defense and coordinator Jack Del Rio. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions from Washington’s loss to the Chiefs.

Chiefs defeat Commanders: Everything we know

Here is everything we know after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Washington Commanders in the second preseason game.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Washington Commanders 24-14 on Saturday in NFL preseason action.

The Chiefs jumped out to a fast start as quarterback Patrick Mahomes led a 12-play, 87-yard drive before finding Jody Fortson for a touchdown to give Kansas City a 7-0 lead.

The Commanders and quarterback Carson Wentz struggled to sustain offensive success early in the game, giving Mahomes and the Chiefs the football again.

Mahomes led another impressive drive, this time going for 12 plays and 82 yards, before again finding Fortson for a short touchdown reception. Kansas City went up 14-0, and head coach Andy Reid pulled his starters.

The Commanders ended the first half with a touchdown as quarterback Taylor Heinicke found Cam Sims to cut Kansas City’s lead to 14-7.

Washington rookie quarterback Sam Howell played most of the second half, leading the Commanders to one touchdown drive.

Here is everything we know from Washington’s preseason loss to the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes vs. Washington’s defense was the mismatch you’d expect

When Patrick Mahomes went up against the Washington Commanders’ bust-prone defense, the result came as no surprise.

There are a few ways to… well, if not “beat” Patrick Mahomes, at least make him look a bit more mortal. You can throw all kinds of two-high coverage against him, and that works more often than not. In 2021, Mahomes completed 215 of 332 passes against two-deep looks for 2,532 yards, 1,401 air yards, nine touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 50.3%. Only Trevor Lawrence had more interceptions against two-deep coverage last season, and given the disaster Lawrence had to work with, we’re inclined to say that it doesn’t count.

You can also throw eight in coverage against him to constrict his openings and throwing lanes, as the Bengals did against him in the second half and in overtime of the AFC Championship game, and that turns out to be pretty effective, as well — especially since blitzing Mahomes is an invitation to absolute disaster for your defense.

What you probably don’t want to do is to throw a bunch of vanilla one-on-one coverage (and coverage busts) against him. Mahomes will go thermonuclear on you if you do, and for some reason, that’s what the Washington Commanders decided to do in the first half of their Saturday game against Kansas City.

As you could easily surmise, it did not go well. Mahomes was in for the first two drives of the game, both drives went 12 plays (for 82 and 87 yards), the Chiefs were 5-fot-5 converting third downs, both drives ended in touchdown passes from Mahomes to receiver Jody Fortson, and Mahomes finished his day completing 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards, those two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 125.3. Had Mahomes not had a couple of miscommunications with new receivers, things would have been even worse for Jack Del Rio’s defense.

Sadly, this is par for the course for the Football Team/Commanders under Del Rio. In 2020, when Del Rio became the defensive coordinator, Washington finished third in Defensive DVOA. In 2021, that fell to 27th (28th against the pass), and busted coverages were a common problem, despite a lot of talent in the secondary.

Last season, no defense allowed more passing touchdowns than Washington’s 34, to just 11 interceptions. That defense also allowed 400 catches on 597 attempts for 4,542 yards, a completion rate of 67.0%, a yards per attempt allowed of 7.6, an opponent passer rating of 100.9, and an opponent EPA of 67.90.

Based on how things looked against Mahomes, the Commanders may be in for a repeat performance. How did things go so wrong in such a bit hurry? There were a few reasons. We’ll start with basic coverage issues.

Ron Rivera likes the Commanders depth at defensive end

Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio like Washington’s defensive end depth.

The Washington Commanders arguably have the NFL’s most talented defensive line. Defensive ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat, combined with defensive tackles Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Phidarian Mathis, give Washington an outstanding tor group.

However, with Young still recovering from knee surgery, there were concerns about Washington’s youthful depth at defensive end this offseason. It led the Commanders to sign veteran Efe Obada to serve in a backup role for 2022.

But what about some of Washington’s young pass rushers?

Head coach Ron Rivera spoke to the media Wednesday and offered high praise for some of the Commanders’ young pass rushers.

“[William] Bradley King has done a really nice job,” Rivera said of the second-year defensive end. “He’s a heavy-handed guy that’s physical.”

Bradley-King has been consistent throughout training camp and flashed multiple times in last week’s preseason opener. Rivera also praised Bunmi Rotimi and Shaka Toney. Toney, along with Bradley-King, were fellow seventh-round picks in 2021.

“You look at Shaka [Toney], Shaka is a situation pass-rusher type,” Rivera said. “Very explosive off the ball. We saw that in the game. He was getting around the corner and dipping stuff like that. So, we got a mix of young guys.”

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio also spoke on some of Washington’s defensive ends, naming James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill.

“I think James Smith-Williams is the first guy that comes to my mind,” Del Rio said. “He is running with the ones. I think he is a guy that is rugged. He has played a little bit inside and has moved outside full-time. He is doing a great job with it. Really happy with him.”

We know Young is out for at least Week 1. Perhaps he will miss a few games. Washington certainly isn’t going to rush his return. So the extra reps for players like Smith-Williams, Toohill, Bradley-King and Toney are critical in the preseason.

It’s clear that Commanders’ coaches believe in some of the young players and Obada, regardless of how long they must wait on Young. That’s something the Commanders were less confident about one year ago.

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Commanders Bobby McCain conveys the point of emphasis

Bobby McCain talks Washington’s improved communication in the secondary.

Commanders safety Bobby McCain visited with the press Wednesday, and he was certainly preaching better communication.

McCain relayed communication has certainly been coached.  “It’s just the point of emphasis we made from the start of camp. As long as we are all on the same page, not too many people can beat us athletically. So understanding that it’s got to be all across the back end. Everybody’s got to communicate.”

When asked how that is different from 2021, the seven-year veteran responded, “Teams lose more games than they win in this league and that one thing starts with communication, especially in the back seven, because if you’re not on the same page, you have no chance.”

The former Miami Dolphin believes Kansas City will be a good test, Saturday. “It’ll definitely be good for us. We know what kind of offensive firepower they have. So having a good strong defensive stand will be nice.”

A fifth-round draft choice (145) in 2015, McCain is impressed with some of the younger players developing in the secondary. “One thing I see out of Percy (Butler) and I told him from the first day, you’ll be in this league a long time, as long as you don’t make the same mistakes twice. And he really hasn’t made the same mistake twice. He’s playing a lot faster. The game’s slowing down to him, and he’s understanding the defense really well.”

The former Memphis Tiger believes the Commanders are having a good training camp and will need to “Build off of it and start fast. Understand that just because you’re out here and it’s happening out here, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every Sunday. ”

With the poor performance in 2021, especially on third downs, he stated, “We try to let you guys worry about that, and we just got to worry about going out, playing football…We’ve been talking about it all OTAs all ever since last year. Really just making sure because situational football is all that wins games in this league.”

McCain is seeing second-year safety Darrick Forrest progress as well. “He is so much smarter. You can see the jump, you can see the year-two jump. He’s out there communicating with me and Kam (Curl). He understands, he knows where he needs to fit. He knows his role and he’s been a good ball player, but now you can see he’s playing really fast.”

Asked a second time about third-down defense, “It’s the most important down in football, to be honest with you. Because it’s going to get you off the field and it’s going to keep the guys fresh.”

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Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio deletes his Twitter account

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has deleted his Twitter account after a tumultuous week.

A long and tumultuous week for Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has impacted not just his wallet, but his social media presence.

In the wake of a hefty fine from the organization, Del Rio has deleted his Twitter account:

Del Rio touched off a firestorm early last week when he tried to draw a comparison between the nationwide protests in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, and the assault on the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

The defensive coordinator then tried to address the comments in a press conference at Washington’s minicamp, but drew further scrutiny when he described the events of January 6th as a “dust-up.” That prompted the fine from the organization, as well as this statement from head coach Ron Rivera:

As noted in the statement, Del Rio’s fine will be directed towards the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund. At least seven people died as a result of the riots, according to a bipartisan Senate report. Four were rioters. Officer Brian D. Sicknick of the Capitol Police was assaulted by the mob, and died the next day after suffering two strokes. Officers Jeffery Smith and Howard S. Liebengood died by suicide shortly after the attacks.

 

Peaceful protests? In 1987, Jack Del Rio scuffled with Chiefs great Otis Taylor over replacement players

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has an interesting history re: peaceful protest vs. violent rebuttal.

It has not been a banner week for Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. His comments about the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the United States Capitol, which Del Rio referred to as a “dust-up,” did not go over well. Del Rio eventually had to apologize, both the NAACP and the Fritz Pollard Alliance called for his firing, and he was fined $100,000 by the team, proof of which was a statement released by head coach Ron Rivera. Del Rio’s comments, in which he referred to the insurrection as a “dust-up,” may be the “nail in the coffin” when it comes to the Commanders’ hopes for a new stadium.

In that statement, Rivera said, “Coach Del Rio did apologize for his statements on Wednesday and he understands the distinction between the events of that dark day and peaceful protests, which are a hallmark of our democracy.”

A nice thought, but history tells us otherwise. On the subject of Colin Kaepernick, Del Rio had this to say in 2016 as the then-Oakland Raiders’ head coach:

“I’ve never come to a point where I’ve had to address it. It’s always been understood; you stand at attention, you pay respect to our flag, our country, so it’s kind of always been kind of an assumed thing. I never really had to talk about it.

“I think the best way to look at it is in America as individuals we all have freedoms and that’s one of the things that make our country great. You may not always like or appreciate the fact that somebody else is expressing themselves. For us I think it’s more about recognizing you’re part of an organization and you represent our organization and our organization believes that you should pay respect to the flag. Save those individual decisions to express yourself on an individual forum. That’s how we feel, in talking to Mark Davis, how the football team feels about it, how our organization feels about it, and that’s right in line with my thinking about it as well.

“When you look the Raiders, you look at an organization that’s historically been at the forefront of civil rights, and social movements. We hired the first African American head coach, hired the first Latino American head coach, hired the first female in the front office. So, I think clearly the Raiders organization has always been at the forefront of that. But, our organization believes that you should act as a good teammate and a good organizational member and do the right thing.”

So… peaceful protests are okay, if I agree with what you’re protesting. Not that Kaepernick’s protests had anything to do with the flag or the anthem — he was protesting police brutality, as were those Del Rio tried to equate with those who invaded the Capitol building.

Going back to Del Rio’s time as a player, there’s one incident from 1987 that further submarines his alleged interest in peaceful protest. This was during the NFL strike of that year, and tensions between players and management were obviously very high. When the NFL decided to bring in replacement players to offset the revenue loss due to no games, that clearly upped the ante.

Del Rio was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs at the time, and of all NFL players, he seemed to be the least interested in any kind of peaceful point-making at all.

Per the Associated Press:

The ugliest NFL strike confrontations were in Kansas City.

Striking Chiefs Dino Hackett and Paul Coffman shouted, “We’re looking for scabs,” as they waved unloaded shotguns outside Arrowhead Stadium before the substitutes arrived.

Hackett told reporters that the firearms were not loaded. Two Chiefs security guards were posted at the stadium entrance, but they did not attempt to intervene.

We just wanted to keep this as light-hearted as possible,” Hackett said. “But this is serious business. This is our livelihood.”

The “lighthearted” scene turned into a tense one later in the day when linebacker Jack Del Rio and Otis Taylor, a former Chiefs All-Pro and now a scout, got into a shoving match outside the stadium. The incident occurred as Taylor escorted an unidentified non-union player into the stadium.

The player was later identified as Richard Estell, who had been cut by the Chiefs in training camp. Estell said that he changed his mind and decided not to cross the picket line, and drove away with a flat left rear tire.

Here’s an AP photo of the 24-year-old Del Rio, with the 45-year-old Taylor on the ground. No doubt Del Rio would refer to this as a “dust-up.”

From former Kansas City Star sportswriter Randy Covitz:

From the Star:

Taylor, who at the time said his lip was bleeding, filed a criminal complaint and Del Rio filed an assault complaint, but prosecutors did not file charges because of “insufficient evidence.” Taylor also filed a $1 million lawsuit against Del Rio, player representative Nick Lowery and the NFL Players Association. The case was settled out of court two years later.