Earlier this week, Commanders coach Ron Rivera made some curious comments regarding the manner in which the team’s offensive players are, or aren’t, adapting to new coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Rivera has since admitted his blunder. Which is admirable.
But there’s still a question to be answered. How did it all happen?
When asked about Bieniemy and his intensity, Rivera seemed to give credence and legitimacy to the concerns.Rivera could have said, for example, “Yes, he’s intense. That’s what we need. We haven’t been to a conference championship since 1991. He has been to five in a row. He knows how to get to where we are trying to go. Our players would be wise to follow him.”
So why didn’t Rivera say it? At the risk of inching even higher on the list of the NFL’s top-five conspiracy theorists, here’s a possibility rooted in basic human nature.
Rivera fears for his job, as he should. There’s new management in D.C. New owners hire new coaches. For Rivera to have a chance to stick around for 2024, the team needs to do well in 2023.
And if the team does well — if the offense takes off under Bieniemy — what’s to stop new ownership from giving the job to Bieniemy?
It has happened before. After Jameis Winston’s first year in Tampa, the Buccaneers faced the possible loss of offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to another team as head coach. And so Lovie Smith was fired. And Koetter ended up with the job.
That’s not to say Rivera is trying to hold Bieniemy back. The point is that anything Rivera could say to boost Bieniemy could prompt ownership to decide, if the team’s offense thrives this year, to politely disengage from Rivera and to pivot to Bieniemy.
Before some other team can hire Bieniemy to be its head coach.
It’s simple. It’s actually sort of obvious. The more Bieniemy gets a boost, the greater the chance Rivera gets the boot — and Bieniemy gets the job.
