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NFL Notebook, Week 13: Miami madness, Ron Rivera firing, Coach of the Year and more

By Zach Cohen

MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Jason Sanders #7 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates a touchdown pass from a fake field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Jason Sanders #7 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates a touchdown pass from a fake field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers looks on from the sidelines against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers looks on from the sidelines against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Riverboat Ron Sails Away

Wow, was I shocked to see Ron Rivera fired on Tuesday. I’m not surprised by the move; I’m surprised by the timing of the move. Even if the Panthers are somehow still in playoff contention, firing the coach of a 5-7 team with four weeks left seems a bit premature. Then again, it gives the Panthers a head-start in their coaching search. I broke down the move in three ways based on who it affects:

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What It Means For Rivera

In eight seasons with the Panthers, Rivera made the playoffs half of the time. That’s pretty solid, especially when you consider their Super Bowl appearance in 2015. Unfortunately, things were clearly not trending up for Rivera. The seventh-most points allowed on defense just isn’t going to cut it for the former defensive coordinator. Fortunately for Rivera, he should be in high demand next year.

What It Means For Carolina

David Tepper, the first-year owner of the Panthers, seemingly wants a fresh start, as most new owners do. (I wonder if that includes a new face at quarterback…) Anyway, they’ll get an extra month to evaluate potential candidates. This doesn’t seem like the team to go after a young, offensive-minded play-caller. I can see the 49ers’ defensive coordinator Robert Saleh or former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy as possibilities.

What It Means For the Rest of the League

Like I said, Rivera will have his choice of jobs for next season, either as a defensive coordinator or a head coach. What I’m more interested in is how the other teams react now. Will they panic and think they could miss out on the extended chance to grab a good new coach? After all, the NFL is a copycat league. I can see six teams who could consider firing their coaches at some point.

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