The Washington Redskins were a laughingstock in 2019. They went 3-13. They fired coach Jay Gruden during the season.

Amid wide reports of dysfunction, they also fired long-time team president Bruce Allen immediately after the season. Gruden wasn’t a good coach and Allen wasn’t good on the personnel side, plus he wasn’t above feeding fans and media a steady stream of lies.

But that era is over. Maybe now, it’s finally time for owner Daniel Snyder to get things right. He took a major step in that direction when he hired coach Ron Rivera on Tuesday.

One of the most respected coaches in the league, Rivera brings instant credibility to the Redskins. But can Rivera succeed in a job where others have struggled through most of Snyder’s tenure in a place where a once-rabid fan base has soured?

Let’s take a look at what Rivera needs to succeed in Washington.

6. Freedom

Owner Daniel Snyder has been accused of being meddlesome in the past. The most recent example came when it was reported that Gruden didn’t want to draft quarterback Dwayne Haskins this year, but Allen and Snyder did and they did what they wanted. Rivera isn’t going to play that way. He’s his own man with strong convictions. Snyder needs to focus on getting a new stadium built and leave the football up to Rivera.