Ron Rivera made choice comments when he said the quarterback position is the reason Washington Commanders haven’t been able to maintain sustained success in the NFL.
His comments came after a 2-3 start when the new quarterback Carson Wentz was far from impressive – entering Thursday, he ranked 24th overall QBR.
Thursday night, he certainly didn’t do himself a favor – Wentz completed just 12 of 22 passes for 99 yards, although the Commanders beat the Chicago Bears 12-7.
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Washington Commanders #11 Carson Wentz passes during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 13, 2022 in Chicago.
(Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Simply put, it hasn’t been a good season so far for Commanders or Wentz. His struggles date back to late last season when he had to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 2-14 to put the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs – he threw for just 185 yards in the 26-11 loss.
Wentz has been widely criticized for his play, and that will continue after Thursday’s sloppy game. However, Rivera made an emotional call where he defended the struggling Wentz. Asked about a report that owner Dan Snyder, rather than Rivera, wanted Wentz in Washington, Rivera didn’t hesitate.
Washington Commanders No. 11 Carson Wentz reacts after a fourth quarter pitch against the Tennessee Titans at FedExField on October 9, 2022 in Landover, Maryland.
(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
COMMANDERS’ RON RIVERA ADMITS FOUL AFTER QUARTERBACK’S REMARK: ‘I HAD A MEA CULPA MOMENT’
“They played their a—- off. They got. They played their a—- off for everybody.” said Rivera. “They go out and they show up, they work hard, they don’t complain. They hear all this stuff, and they have to deal with it. I get it, I respect them for that. Because they are resilient and come back.
“Everybody keep wanting to say I didn’t want anything to do with Carson. Well b——-. I’m the b—— guy who pulled out the sheets of paper, who watched the analytics, who watched the tape in Indianapolis. And that’s what pisses me off. Because the young man doesn’t deserve to have that all the time.
After the emotional plea, he cut his lecture short and walked out of the room.
WARNING: THE VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS LEADERSHIP
Rivera admitted fault for his quarterbacking comments earlier this week. He said he had been a distraction for the team and had a “mea culpa moment”.
“I was fortunate that our Media Relations Manager contacted [Wentz] and let them know. And I actually spoke to Carson this morning. I actually talked to the whole team just to let everyone understand that I had a mea culpa moment and should know better,” Rivera said on Tuesday.
“The coach tackled it, handled it. Nothing for me that worries me too much. The coach is a very straightforward and straightforward guy. He talked about it in a team meeting, which I thought it was really cool and what he meant by all of them. I’m very confident,” Wentz added.
There are many more problems beyond the football field in Washington, because Snyder would have information that “blow up” the league in the midst of his own investigation.
Washington Commanders #11 Carson Wentz talks with head coach Ron Rivera during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at FedExField on October 9, 2022 in Landover, Maryland.
(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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The Commanders improved to 2-4 with the victory and will host the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.