Commanders coach Ron Rivera is safe.
But for how long?
It’s never a good sign when the defensive coordinator working for a head coach with a defensive background gets fired. The powers-that-be aren’t happy with the side of the ball in which the head coach specializes.
The statement from owner Josh Harris arguably hints at Rivera finishing the season. That might not matter, if the Commanders are embarrassed next Sunday in a rematch of Super Bowls VII and XVII against the Dolphins. With the bye coming up in Week 14, that’s the ideal time for an in-season coaching change.
Maybe Rivera gets one more game to fix the defense without Jack Del Rio there. If Rivera doesn’t, it could be offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy auditioning for the permanent job in the last four weeks of the season.
At this point, we don’t know what will happen. We do know that owner Josh Harris is “disappointed and frustrated” by the team’s record. We also know that the Commanders traded away two key defensive players, Chase Young and Montez Sweat, which naturally will contribute to a more disappointing and frustrating record.
Which suggests either that Harris doesn’t understand the relationship between cause and effect or that the firing of Del Rio is the first step in a process that will result in Rivera and others being fired, during the rest of the season or as soon as it ends.
