Washington Commanders Coach Ron Rivera 'Can Understand' And 'Appreciate' Jonathan Allen's Comments
Frustrations are starting to boil over for the Washington Commanders after their 3-4 start to the season.
Jonathan Allen gave a glimpse into that with his profane ridden comments following the Commanders' 14-7 loss to the New York Giants (2-5) on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
"(Bleep) yes it does," Allen said after the game when asked if it's gotten frustrating for him. "I'm (bleeping) tired of this (bleep). (Bleeping) tired of this (bleep). It's been seven (bleeping) years of the same (bleep). Tired of this (bleep)."
While there's plenty to be made of Allen's comments, his head coach, Ron Rivera, was on the same page and understood where the Commanders' defensive tackle was coming from. Allen, who has made two Pro Bowls (2021 and 2022), has been a stalwart along the Washington defensive line since 2017 and has turned into one of the better defensive tackles in football. He has three sacks, seven quarterback hits and 28 tackles, including six for a loss so far this season.
In Allen's tenure with Washington, they have only made one playoff apearance.
Jonathan Allen is a two-time Pro Bowler.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
"He's disappointed and as is everybody else," Rivera said. "I can't dispute it just because he's a very passionate football player that wants to win. I get it. We all want to win. We're all passionate about this game. We want to win and that's the bottom line. Frustration sometimes gets the best of us and we've got to be able to handle that as well."
After a 2-0 start to the season, Washington has lost four of its last five games and have a brutal schedule for the rest of the season that includes facing the Dallas Cowboys twice along with playing the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins.
"Trust me, I get frustrated when I get up in front of you guys and I listen to some of the questions and I want to be able to say some of the things that I really wish I could, but I can't," Rivera said. "And that's what Jonathan felt. So, you know, I can understand it and I can appreciate that. So got nothing but respect for how hard the young man plays and what the young man is trying to do and that's win football games.”
The Commanders will look to get back on track when they face the Eagles for the second time this season on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at FedEx Field. Philadelphia (6-1) won the first matchup 34-31 in overtime on Oct. 1 at Lincoln Financial Field.
