Commanders Coach Ron Rivera 'Fired Up' to Play Giants on Sunday Night Football
The Washington Commanders will play the New York Giants for the second time in as many games after the teams played out a 20-20 tie last Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The tie did not hinder nor help Washington as they "moved" to 7-5-1.
With the rematch having both NFC East and playoff implications, the league has flexed the match at FedEx Field to Sunday Night Football. That gives the game the coverage it deserves, as both have winning records and the game itself has a lot on the line.
Despite Commanders head coach Ron Rivera wanting a different timeslot, he is happy to play when and where he needs to.
"I was kind of hoping we would get Saturday," Rivera said. "I mean, we have to travel all the way across country. 49ers are coming off of a Thursday game. It'd be nice to be able to be rested, but you play what they tell you to play. So we'll line up and play and see what happens."
The Commanders' last SNF outing didn't go to plan, a 56-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last season. Washington is a different team now as they look to consolidate their playoff position.
If there were any nerves or reservations about playing on the NFL's biggest stage with the world watching, Rivera isn't feeling it. In fact, the opposite.
"Well, I think this opportunity's awesome, I really do," Rivera said. "First of all, it's the national stage. It is the big stage. Secondly, it'd be awesome to have a great turnout. I think we're working towards that. We're trending in that direction. I'm pretty fired up for our guys. I really am just because we have guys that deserve some exposure. This is a great opponent for us. They matched us on Sunday and so, it's pretty cool. We're pretty even, so it'll be a fun night. I really do look forward to it."
The Commanders, under Taylor Heinicke, have been one of the form teams over the last eight weeks, winning six, losing one, and the tie last Sunday.
After a 1-4 start, Washington has steadied the ship and can now look forward to meaningful games as they chase what was at one point an unlikely playoff berth.
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