Ron Rivera didn't even talk to his team at halftime on Thursday while they were down 27-3, letting defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and a couple defensive players pick up the slack?
The bloom is not only off the rose, but after a 2-0 start turned to 2-3, the thorns are sharper than ever, it seems – and as Cakes thinks the "Commanders fan base is checked out on weighing in on whether Ron Rivera has already checked out on the 2023 campaign," EB is still optimistic of the team itself.
"I feel very confident it's a 50/50 game," EB said of their trip to Atlanta this week as the guys discussed some strategy for the Falcons game, hoping that Atlanta's offensive strength also being the Commanders' lone defensive strength means potential success.
"If I'm Arthur Smith…look, you're not gonna find a guy more committed to running the ball than Arthur Smith," Cakes said. "but I'm gonna look at this Commanders defense and say, 'why am I gonna beat my brains in with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier against a bunch of Pro Bowlers on the defensive line when I can just pass the ball on this team with ease?"
But, the Junks' poll Tuesday was asking if fans think Rivera has checked out – and at the time they discussed this, 77 percent said yes – and EB realizes Ron is trying to take an "overseer" role, but he doesn't like it.
Cakes noted it's fine if your team is winning and working as a well-oiled machine.
"Then you can be the CEO and the overseer, but when your team is flailing and you have a defensive background and you built the team around your defense and your defense stinks on ice and is allowing 32 points per game, at some point, you gotta speak up," Johnny said.
Yeah, but back to the point.
"We weren't paying much attention to Ron in Carolina, but I'm just telling you, he looks particularly checked out to me in general," EB said. "Maybe that's how he's always been, I don't know."
Rivera is 61 and in his 27th year as a coach after nine as a player and four as a broadcaster, so this is year 40 in the league somehow. He has had health issues, as well, so perhaps, as we enter four year of the same old in DC and the realization sets in that this could be it, maybe he's mentally re-set?
"I wonder though if he's thinking about the one thing which would maybe appease people about his demeanor and about his role in the team," JP said. "The one move he could do is fire Jack Del Rio take over the defensive play call, and I don't think he'll do that."
"He never will – Jack's his boy," EB said, and when JP mentioned how Mike McCarthy did that in Dallas with the offense, this was Eric's response: "Mike McCarthy is not checked out. I'm telling you that Ron is punched out. It's just the vibe I get. He's not gonna fire Jack; that's his boy, and it ain't happening. It'd be fine, at least you'd see some life if he did that, but it ain't gonna happen. When Ron had the cancer, Jack was basically the head coach."
"You have to be confident there's another guy on the staff that can call plays, and maybe they don't feel like there is," Bish replied.
Valdez wanted to define "checked out," and EB had this to say:
"He's kind of going through the motions at about 70 percent," Bickel said. "He's unemotional, you don't talk to the team at halftime of a critical game, give weird answers at pressers, you look lifeless, and your team comes out flat."
Cakes had EB's back on some of that on-field stuff, even if JP questioned if that's on the assistants and their scheme, because even if it is, "it's Ron's job to go to them and say something about switching it up."
And then, EB off the top rope:
"You gotta be all in – he doesn't look like he cares. I need more from him."
Take a listen above as the guys discuss the issues, and give some ideas about how to fix some of the defensive problems, around Eric's assertion that Ron is mentally gone!
