How much pressure is Commanders coach Ron Rivera under in 2023?

Ron Rivera understands he needs to win in 2023.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Chris Simms discussed Monday which NFL coach is under the most pressure in the NFL for the 2023 season?

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was suggested to be one of the top choices to be on the hot seat this upcoming season.

Chris Simms took Brandon Staley of the Chargers as his top choice, citing the Chargers have gone 9-8 and 10-7, which included blowing a 24-point lead to the Jaguars in the playoff loss.

Florio responded by choosing Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy. “Be careful what you wish for. He has consolidated power. He’s in charge of all of the offense. If it doesn’t work, it’s all on you,” expressed Florio.

Simms then took Commanders head coach Ron Rivera as his second choice for the coach under the most pressure in 2023.

“I do think it’s gotta be a big year…He’s got to make a good first impression on ownership here,” began Simms. They are a team that has some talent. Certainly, the quarterback position has been a problem.”

“They look like they could go the Lamar Jackson route. Instead, they are going with Sam Howell. So that all goes back to him (Rivera).”

Florio was more adamant concerning Rivera’s plight.

“To me, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that he’s out, and he’s got nothing to lose at this point. There’s no pressure, like let me go see what I can do, and maybe I can convince the new owner to keep me. Because the new owner is going to want his own coach.”

“I just assume they are going to clean house in Washington once new ownership is in place. I think he (Rivera) gets this year. If he does enough, perhaps another year. But I think changes are going to be coming to Washington once you have new ownership.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Chris Simms: ‘Wentz can do some dumb crap… but could be dangerous’

Simms understands why Rivera made the move to Wentz.

What were others Wednesday, like Pro Football Talk, saying regarding Ron Rivera making a change at quarterback from Taylor Heinicke to Carson Wentz?

Chris Simms admitted he was surprised that Rivera had brought Carson Wentz up again as part of the quarterback picture and that he (Simms) didn’t know if Rivera would go ahead and pull the trigger.

He also alluded to how watching film of Heinicke each week he was seeing plays that Heinicke missed and really should have connected on. “So he leaves plays and points on the field.”

Simms continued, “Rivera looks at Wentz and says there is great potential with Carson. I got the team in the spot right now where Carson Wentz will be able to take advantage, make more explosive plays and make them a more dangerous offense and make you defend more of the field because of his big arm. So there is greater potential there.”

“But as we know, Mike (Florio), with Wentz, he can do some dumb crap too. So it will be about him finding that line and finding that sweet spot that works for him.”

Mike Florio reminded viewers Rivera, and Martin Mayhew should be thankful they didn’t land Russell Wilson because they would have given up a lot more than they did for Wentz and gotten even less in return.

Florio offered, “I feel like Taylor Heinicke’s ceiling is lower than Carson Wentz’s ceiling. There are too many moments with Heinicke when he plays that you just get lucky…It seems like there is one of those every game.”

“The moment the backup (Heinicke) cools off, that’s when you go back to the starter. We’ve seen that time and again. So, with the season on the line, they are putting their best foot forward. Even though both have flaws, I feel like Wentz has the higher ceiling. So, I understand it.”

Simms closed by saying because the Commanders can run the ball, if they protect Wentz with the weapons of McLaurin, Samuel and Dotson, Wentz is better than Heinicke at getting the ball down the field, so they could become dangerous on offense.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Sam Howell compared to Mayfield and Manziel?

One former NFL QB compares Sam Howell to Baker Mayfield and……Johnny Manziel.

A quarterback being compared to Baker Mayfield and Johnny Manziel is certainly not flattering.

That is what new Washington quarterback Sam Howell encountered on Monday’s edition of Pro Football Talk hosted by Mike Florio and Chris Simms.

Florio opened pointing out that prior to the 2021 season beginning, Howell was being touted as the first quarterback to be drafted in 2022, but Howell was the sixth taken and not until the 5th round. Yet he understood Howell could possibly be developed as a possible successor to Carson Wentz.

Simms declared Howell was smart, having the highest Wonderlic test score amongst quarterbacks at this year’s NFL combine. He also praised Howell as not being raw like Malik Willis but clearly going through his reading progressions in the pocket during passing plays.

“But the throwing has issues,” expressed Simms. “Listen, I will go to the NFL combine. He threw two out routes and bounced them there. I’ve never really seen a really good quarterback bounce out routes when there was nobody playing defense. There is some issue there with his mechanics.”

“He is Baker Mayfield-like. He scrambles, he is tough, he has some moxie and all that. But I don’t know if his game translates to the NFL. He has some refining to do. But, I think it is a good pick in the fifth round by Washington. He is one of those guys who does have some potential and maybe they do have something to work with here.”

“He has a thick build to him, a thick lower half that allows him to break tackles. But at the same time, he scrambles and takes too many sacks, and I don’t know if that scrambling he got away with in college like Johnny Manziel, it’s not going to translate into the NFL. And that is why he was probably still on the board at the 5th round.”

Well, Sam Howell, will have plenty of time to prove he is not the immature, overrated players Manziel and thus far Mayfield have been.