If the Commanders make the playoffs, would you bring back Ron Rivera? Thursday’s Junkies poll saw 89 percent of respondents say no, which John Feinstein thought was high, but didn’t disagree with when he joined the Junks for his usual Friday visit.
“I would’ve guessed 70, but I wrote a column about that saying the more they win, the worse it is for the franchise long-term,” Feinstein said. “Your goal isn’t to win eight or nine games, sneak into the playoffs, and lose a Wild Card game on the road – your goal is to win the Super Bowl. That used to be what this franchise was about, but the last one was 30 years ago. I think the hope is that with Josh Harris taking over ownership, he will do things right and put the right people in place to get it to a point where they can compete consistently.”
Nothing personal, but in John’s eyes, it’s time to move on from Ron.
“Ron Rivera is a decent man, but he’s a mediocre football coach who had one good year. He’s no Jim Zorn, but he’s no Joe Gibbs, either – and finding Joe Gibbs isn’t easy to find, but that should be what you’re looking for,” John said. “And you should look for a general manager like Eric DeCosta, who was able to take over for Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore and keep the Ravens near the top of the league. You have to make moves that make your team better in the draft – the more you win, the harder that gets, but the key is having the right people to make those decisions.”
So, if the Commanders finish around .500 again, would a transition from Rivera to Eric Bieniemy be acceptable?
“I love Bieniemy, and have been pushing for him to get a head coaching job since I did the book,” Feinstein said. “When I heard the players complaining he was too tough, I wondered why Patrick Mahomes never said that? Neither Andy Reid nor Doug Pederson ever called plays, so saying he didn’t do that is a BS excuse. I think it would be a good move to make Bieniemy the head coach, but not the GM; the problem with giving one person too much power is that you can’t do both, so find a real general manager. I’m glad the fans like Bieniemy, because he’s done a heck of a job with Sam Howell.”
Take a listen to John’s entire call-in above, which includes thoughts on Sam Howell as the future QB, how he thinks the Monumental call to DC for money will turn out, and more!
