On Monday, Washington coach Ron Rivera spoke to the media one day after his team fell to the New Orleans Saints, 33-22. For the first time in his tenure, he appeared a bit agitated with some of the questions facing him after Washington’s 2-3 start to the season.
During his Monday presser, Rivera was adamant there would be no massive changes to the defense, whether it be coaching, personnel, or him taking over play-calling.
Rivera spoke once again on Tuesday during his weekly appearance on the Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan in the Washington, D.C area.
As you might expect, Rivera talked about his defense, and one quote, in particular, produced quite a stir on social media, per Chris Lingebach of audacy.com.
I mean, you almost want to say, ‘Man, I wish 7-9 last year wouldn’t have been good enough to win the division. That way, the expectations would have been much lower and been a little bit easier. This is hard. This is the way it’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to be hard. It’s because it’s the only way you learn.
Rivera received plenty of criticism for that specific quote.
Only fans of the Washington Football Team could get chastised for wanting a 7-9 team to get better. By the head coach, no less. Only us.
— Nate (@BarstoolNate) October 12, 2021
While I understand how fans could perceive that quote, I don’t think that’s how Rivera meant the message to be received.
In fairness to Rivera, let’s see his full quote, courtesy of John Keim of ESPN:
Guess part of this Ron Rivera quote to @JunksRadio is getting around today. Here’s the full quote. Not telling u how to interpret. Make of it what you will: pic.twitter.com/a2kGpX1FsZ
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 12, 2021
Rivera certainly understands the raised expectations but was saying how hard it is to win in the NFL. He provided a thorough answer into Washington’s defensive struggles.
Things are tense with Washington right now. Fans expected more, especially from the defense. Instead, Washington’s defense is one of the worst in the league. Until defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio can get his unit turned around, Rivera will continue facing a barrage of questions about the defense’s performance.