NFL Power Rankings: Chiefs, Ravens remain hot as facilities begin to reopen
By Randy Gurzi
. . Previous: 28th. Washington Commanders. 29. team. 58
The Washington Redskins were another of the NFC East teams that decided to make a coaching change ahead of 2020 — all but one did in the division with only Doug Pederson staying on with the Philadelphia Eagles. For Washington, they decided to go with Ron Rivera as their new head coach and it was a smart hire.
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Rivera has had a lot of success in the NFL, including a 15-1 campaign in 2015 with the Carolina Panthers. That season, he even took his club to the Super Bowl but they were unable to defeat the Denver Broncos and their ferocious defense.
One interesting fact about Rivera is that he never had back-to-back winning seasons despite the success he did find in Carolina. Even so, he’s a well-respected coach who understands how to build a strong defense. And in Washington, he has some great weapons to use with No. 2 overall pick Chase Young joining Montez Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan at edge rusher. They also had Jonathan Allen on the defensive line and Landon Collins in the secondary.
The veteran coach should be able to find success with that unit but whether or not the team is able to compete will fall on the shoulders of their offense. With a second-year quarterback in Dwayne Haskins, they do have some hope there. However, he has limited help at wide receiver and their running game is also a concern with Derrius Guice struggling to stay healthy and Adrian Peterson on the back nine of his career — although he still has had his moments where he looked brilliant.
There’s plenty to like about where this team is headed but it feels as though this season will be one where they are still building toward the future.