Commanders Power Rankings: Did Ron Rivera 'Fail' Washington?
The Washington Commanders had a chance to hand the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the season. However, the Commanders just couldn't deliver that final blow, ultimately losing 34-31 in overtime.
After the gut-wrenching overtime loss, Washington fell from No. 19 to 21 in Pro Football Network's power rankings, zeroed in on coach Ron Rivera's decision making.
"The Washington Commanders deserved a chance to win or lose the game in regulation," writes Pro Football Network. "Their coach failed them. Ron Rivera failed to show the confidence and conviction to let his guys, who just drove down the field to score with no time left on the clock, try to win the game.
"They had a chance in overtime, but everyone in the world except Rivera knew the outcome as soon as they kicked the PAT. They were already the plucky underdog. Would you rather have a chance to win the game with a rookie QB on one play from the two or with an overtime drive against the Philadelphia Eagles defensive front?
"Make it make sense, “Riverboat” Ron."
Next up for Washington, a chance to get back into the win column against the winless Chicago Bears, who have tumbled to the bottom in PFN's rankings. A dominant Commanders win against Chicago would help Washington's playoff aspirations in Rivera's fourth season.
Washington's defense looks to get after Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who was recently in the news for his comments about his coaching staff. Fields is fresh off throwing four touchdowns in his first 300+ yard performance of his career.
Here is everything you need to know about the Thursday night matchup:
Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
RECORDS: Washington Commanders (2-2) vs. Chicago Bears (0-4)
ODDS: Washington is a 7-point favorite vs. the Bears.
GAME TIME: Thursday, October 5th, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. ET
LOCATION: FedEx Field - North Englewood, MD
TV/RADIO: Prime Video, BIG 100.3 FM
THE FINAL WORD: Howell doesn't believe in 'moral victories':
"We will go back this week on a short week, playing on Thursday night, and we are excited for that opportunity. Definitely, I don’t believe in moral victories or anything like that. We lost the game, and I feel like we should have won.”
Follow Bri Amaranthus on Twitter and Instagram
