Ron Rivera Thread

[AnonEmouse]

Perspective maybe? No coach coming in here, after BA's reign in particular, was going to turn the team around in one offseason. My expectation was it would be as bad as last year (or worse) before it got better. And it is.

In Ron's defence, he may well have sat there after Haskins half time speech and the 2nd half of the Eagles game and said to himself "Well Dwayne might not be so bad after all. Lets give him a couple more games and see if he can translate that half time and 2nd half into something sustainable." Well no he couldn't, its almost like Haskins said "that's my contribution for this year, its up to everyone else to step up now.". So Ron's left thinking that he has to rebuild from the ground up, but after 4 weeks the East is wide open so why not a least show the semblance of effort to succeed. If it all goes to pot, he's no worse off than the start of the season when there were no expectations.

We're not gong to be able to say if RR is a success this year. Year 2 tells us if his rebuilding plan is headed in the right direction (right players, right culture on training field and in games etc.) then year 3 if the results start to show.

I will say he needs to get a GM in place soon though. Can't help thinking trying to juggle everything AND cancer is too much for him.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...are-not-great/

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by MTK

We're starting to learn a few things about Ron. #1 Not a good clock manager, likes to leave timeouts in his pocket. #2 Not a great communicator with the media, he's all over the place at times. To be fair on this one I'm not sure how much of that is due to him being ill, very well could explain a lot. Anyone who knows someone that goes through chemo knows that chemo brain or chemo fog is a very real thing.

Exactly! I have been saying it on here guy needs to take a knee and let Jack D handle this until RR is better and cancer free.

Imagine trying to be a NFL HC with the worst hangover you ever had 1000x stronger, its impossible.

RR take a knee get health and come back when you are ready, this dumpster fire is going burn for awhile with or without you.

[AnonEmouse]

Originally Posted by SunnySide

Rivera didn’t want to put Kyle Allen back in after he was cleared because he didn’t want Allen to take another shot.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 11, 2020

---------------

I can understand Ron not wanting to send Kyle Allen back in with an arm injury to protect him, even if he was cleared to go back.

I think the head scratch is that in doing so, youre not "protecting" Alex Smith. I guess the thinking is, the second Alex Smith takes a live snap his prior injury is in the past. Kyle Allen had an injury in the present. If he didnt think it was safe to send Alex Smith back out in the second half .. then he shouldnt/wouldnt have made Alex the active #2 on Sunday and wouldnt send Alex Smith out in the first half.

Alex Smith needs to play with no memory of his prior injury. If Alex and medical staff say he is a full go, Ron is going to treat him as if he is a full go.

This. Smith has to be mentally strong enough, not just to get through all that healing, but also to go out in front of a DL that don't care if he's on the comeback or not and want to tear him a new one (within the confines of the rules of course). Didn't matter if it was Aaron Donald or some other guy riding his back, he was going to get pressured, hit and sacked if he played anything more than a symbolic snap again, especially behind this OL. If he wasn't up to it, he should have retired, no matter how romantic the idea of a comeback is.

Well he was up to it, but only physically. I'm not sure he was mentally ready, and the question now is will he ever be. But RR had to put him in to test where he is, if only to show him he should retire (which I think he will do at the end of this season).

[irish]

Originally Posted by MTK

Yeah maybe, but he also played in Chicago. He should know how to handle the media.

HC and a player are two totally different things media-wise but I agree that he should be better with the media.

I suspect he's used to the media being more of a cheerleader than a critic.

[SolidSnake84]

Originally Posted by AnonEmouse

This. Smith has to be mentally strong enough, not just to get through all that healing, but also to go out in front of a DL that don't care if he's on the comeback or not and want to tear him a new one (within the confines of the rules of course). Didn't matter if it was Aaron Donald or some other guy riding his back, he was going to get pressured, hit and sacked if he played anything more than a symbolic snap again, especially behind this OL. If he wasn't up to it, he should have retired, no matter how romantic the idea of a comeback is.

Well he was up to it, but only physically. I'm not sure he was mentally ready, and the question now is will he ever be. But RR had to put him in to test where he is, if only to show him he should retire (which I think he will do at the end of this season).

That's a great post, but i don't get a "retirement" vibe when i think about Alex coming into the game. He didn't retire despite everything he went through, even though that would have been infinitely easier. Like he said in his documentary, he wanted to know if he could make it back on the field again in an actual game. He didn't want to wonder about it the rest of his life, he wanted to know if he could do it again.

He survived one of the most, if not the most terrifying defensive players in the NFL, Aaron Donald who has absolutely been a buzzsaw this year, tearing through 2 and sometimes 3 players to attack his prey. The Rams pass rush was nightmarish, and Alex Smith took a terrible beating in his first game back. BUT - he survived it with no injury. In his mind at least, he has to feel / know that he is capable of surviving an NFL game. And when he basically carried Aaron Donald on his back for a few steps, I think he knew he was up to the task of being back in the NFL.

It is totally understandable that he looked rusty playing in his first game in almost 700 days. I am almost sure that with more reps in practice now, and further working with the 1st team offense, he will get his mojo back. He is 36, not young, but not a dinosaur. He should have several good years left in the NFL if he doesn't suffer anymore injuries.

[AnonEmouse]

Originally Posted by SolidSnake84

That's a great post, but i don't get a "retirement" vibe when i think about Alex coming into the game. He didn't retire despite everything he went through, even though that would have been infinitely easier. Like he said in his documentary, he wanted to know if he could make it back on the field again in an actual game. He didn't want to wonder about it the rest of his life, he wanted to know if he could do it again.

He survived one of the most, if not the most terrifying defensive players in the NFL, Aaron Donald who has absolutely been a buzzsaw this year, tearing through 2 and sometimes 3 players to attack his prey. The Rams pass rush was nightmarish, and Alex Smith took a terrible beating in his first game back. BUT - he survived it with no injury. In his mind at least, he has to feel / know that he is capable of surviving an NFL game. And when he basically carried Aaron Donald on his back for a few steps, I think he knew he was up to the task of being back in the NFL.

It is totally understandable that he looked rusty playing in his first game in almost 700 days. I am almost sure that with more reps in practice now, and further working with the 1st team offense, he will get his mojo back. He is 36, not young, but not a dinosaur. He should have several good years left in the NFL if he doesn't suffer anymore injuries.

Maybe but can he compete for a starting gig? Is he happy being a #2? Is he better for missing 2 years wear and tear (aside from his leg!) or is he going to struggle to shrug off the rust? He can still play, but so can Haskins, or Trubisky or Rosen etc. and none of them appear to be franchise material. Hence I think he'll get to the end of the season, his wife will point out to him he has nothing more to prove but has to be there for his kids etc. and he'll retire. Happy to be proven wrong if he can still be a #1 but I just don't see it.

[OmahaRedskins]

Originally Posted by mredskins

Exactly! I have been saying it on here guy needs to take a knee and let Jack D handle this until RR is better and cancer free.

Imagine trying to be a NFL HC with the worst hangover you ever had 1000x stronger, its impossible.

RR take a knee get health and come back when you are ready, this dumpster fire is going burn for awhile with or without you.

Cancer treatment is no joke. It will wear you out. I understand he wants to continue coaching, but someone needs to step in. He needs to focus on his health. Overworking and stressing himself will only prolong the recovery time. It maybe next spring before his thinking is truly clear.

[SolidSnake84]

Originally Posted by AnonEmouse

Maybe but can he compete for a starting gig? Is he happy being a #2? Is he better for missing 2 years wear and tear (aside from his leg!) or is he going to struggle to shrug off the rust? He can still play, but so can Haskins, or Trubisky or Rosen etc. and none of them appear to be franchise material. Hence I think he'll get to the end of the season, his wife will point out to him he has nothing more to prove but has to be there for his kids etc. and he'll retire. Happy to be proven wrong if he can still be a #1 but I just don't see it.

I think we should see him in a few more games to be more sure, but I feel Alex Smith can definitely be a starter in this league, IMO, if nothing else be signed somewhere to compete for a starting job. If we let him go after this season, i guarantee you there would be interest out there for him.

[AnonEmouse]

Originally Posted by SolidSnake84

I think we should see him in a few more games to be more sure, but I feel Alex Smith can definitely be a starter in this league, IMO, if nothing else be signed somewhere to compete for a starting job. If we let him go after this season, i guarantee you there would be interest out there for him.

I guess. If he's fit and breakthrough enough to compete then someone will kick the tyres (yeah Brit spelling, I insist ).

Is he still under contract for 2021 or an FA? If he can prove he's still got it between now and spring, then maybe worth keeping a vet cover, but won't Allen be cheaper?

[Warthog]

I think we are seeing that Rivera may not be the perfect savior for this franchise. BUT, he’s good enough and will change the loser mentality of this franchise - NEXT YEAR.

Of course, the best thing to help this team is when Snyder will be forced to sell the team in 2021. Then they’ll be able to pick a team name. The incomparable asset that Rivera has is his ability to create a team without interference from Snyder OR his lackey GM such as Cerrato or Allen.

To be successful, Rivera needs to first beat his cancer. Hopefully, Snyder will be forced to sell or neutered as the owner as far a Rivera is concerned. The team needs a name to rally behind. As the players improve, so will the coaching. I’m surprised at the defense, but it shows how bad personnel decisions can submarine a team, even with good coaching.

I think Rivera will draft an excellent QB to build this team around. The OL will get high draft picks and FA next year. Another very good or better WR will help McLaurin. They’ll use bucks to get a TE to help the rookie QB.

[GridIron26]

7 weeks in and the team is already starting to see some differences in the culture. This is a great progress despite the losing season, I think this says a lot about Rivera's approaches and strategies. Some of us are not generally happy with how Rivera has handled some situations but apparently it does not matter to the players, this matters the most.

[MTK]

Ron's got the team holding together and fighting, so that's a big tribute to him.

[MTK]

Washington coach Ron Rivera cheered at hospital as cancer treatments finish

[sdskinsfan2001]

I've disagreed with Ron a lot so far. But still believe he is 100% the right man for the job for our team. Building a culture isn't easy.

And obviously he is one tough SOB. Awesome that he is done with treatment. Does that mean he's negative now or still has to be tested again?

[skinsfan69]

RR has been all over the damn place. But what I do like is he is committed to playing mostly young players. He offered Reid a practice squad spot.. lol. If this was any past regime Reid would have been signed and put in as a starter asap... a la Clinton Dix. Let's see how Everett and Curl hold up.

Also he cut AP which was a great move IMO. No need to have a old RB on a rebuilding team. #24 and #41 have been more than good enough if you block for them.