If the Commanders lose Sunday, Ron Rivera will be 102-103-2 overall as a head coach and 26-40-1 as the head man in DC, and likely headed for the unemployment line within 24 hours.
Nice man, wonderful person, terrible head coach at the end of the line?
“The minute Josh Harris took over the team, the question was would he sweep everyone out or what, and I think he’s going to change everything,” John Feinstein said in his weekly visit to the Junkies Friday. “You have to sweep out the football side. They’re going to finish 4-13 because this game means everything for the Cowboys, and it’s time. Ron’s not a terrible coach – he’s not Jim Zorn, but he’s not Joe Gibbs, and what you’re looking for is Joe Gibbs. I suspect that Harris will hire a GM first, which may be a more important hire, and this fan base has been incredibly patient during the whole debacle that was Dan Snyder and the debacle that was this season, and it’s time.”
Ron took over a team that had the No. 2 pick in 2020, and come Monday, the Commanders are likely there again, with three mid-rounders before another crash. But those three mid-rounders haven’t been great, and this season brought NO Pro Bowlers, so we’re right back to square one.
“What it all comes down to is two things: you HAVE to have an offensive line to win the Super Bowl, and you have to have a good quarterback,” Feinstein said. “A great QB is a bonus, but a good QB behind a good to great line is a have to, and they haven’t come close to that. Sometimes, it’s not fair to second-guess picks – when it happened, people were happy Cincinnati drafted Joe Burrow and let Chase Young fall to DC – but what you can do is look back at overall drafts. Ozzie Newsome made a career of drafting guys in later rounds and making them good players. You have to take great players early and good players late, and Ron never did that.”
So as we head into a new era, what becomes of Sam Howell?
“The first person they need to sign is Jacoby Brissett, who has played well when given a chance – but I don’t know what they’ll do with Sam Howell, because it’s a tough call,” Feinstein said. “A lot of first-year QBs make poor decisions, and I’m not sure you give up on him. You see where you’re drafting and see who’s available, but judging any player on his first year is tough. I’m not sure which direction they should go.”
Take a listen to John’s entire segment above, where he also touches on the NFL playoff picture, the CFP Championship Game, and more!
