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ASHBURN, Va. — After blowing a golden opportunity against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday, the Washington Commanders will miss the postseason for the second year in a row. And if he doesn’t win the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, all three of his seasons under Ron Rivera will end with him just 7-1.
It’s unclear if there will be any major changes within Commander’s organization after the season officially ends. Co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder are currently considering selling the franchise, which apparently Influences all decisions throughout the club. Rivera’s job seems fine, but is coordinator Jack Del Rio or Scott Turner in trouble?
For the final time of the season, Del Rio met with the media on Thursday. He expressed his desire to stay in his current role as defensive coordinator and didn’t seem one bit worried about his future with the franchise going forward.
Del Rio said, “As long as I enjoy what I do, and I’m good at what I do, I feel I love what I do. ‘I do it because I love it.'”
Del Rio was one of Rivera’s first hires in 2020 and has been Washington’s defensive coordinator ever since. Despite his years of experience as head coach, having led the Jaguars from 2003 to 2011 and the Raiders from 2015 to 2017, Del Rio insisted he is not looking for another coaching opportunity at this time.
“I’m not doing it because I’m trying to move up the position,” Del Rio said. “I have a lot of experience as a head coach, and if I get the chance, it’s great. But if I don’t, I’m happy doing what I do. All my time in the league has been a blessing and it has been a great honor to do what I do…I love it And that’s why I do it.
Del Rio did not enter the 2022 season on the best of terms. Washington’s defense was the best in the NFL in 2020, but last season the group took a big step back. fined $00,000. Another rough performance of his in 2022 could be the final straw for Dell’s Rio in Washington.
After a slow start to the season, Washington’s defense improved its play significantly. Defensively his tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are playing at his All-Pro level. Linebacker Jamin Davis made great strides in his second year. Third-year safety Camkar has emerged as one of Washington’s most important defenders, and second-year defensive backs Darrick Forrest and Benjamin St. his Justo have also shown significant improvement. .
With one week left in the regular season, the Del Rio defense is allowing the fourth-lowest yards per game (312.3) in the NFL. The group allowed 21.1 points per out, 14th-lowest in the league and an improvement of 4.4 points from the 2021 season. It’s hard to imagine Del Rio losing his job after the season.
Unpleasantly, things almost went wrong. Skills Despite the broad pool of talent in his position, the Commander’s offense consistently failed to score points and Red struggled considerably in his zone. Washington has averaged only 18.4 points per game this year, his 25th-most in the NFL.
Despite Washington’s inconsistency in offense throughout the year, Turner believes the group has made positive progress in 2022 and will return for a fourth season as offensive coordinator in 2023. right.
“I am ready to manage this game. [against Dallas] And set this team up for success in the future,” Turner said.
Turner, who has also been on Rivera’s staff since 2020, admitted that working in the NFL has also raised questions about job security. whatever happens in the future, it will follow.”
Washington’s offensive struggle has certainly been a disappointment for the franchise, especially after the efforts the team has made to improve its unit this spring.
The Commanders traded Carson Wentz in March and hoped he would make a big upgrade to Taylor Heinicke. A few weeks later, Washington tapped Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson in the first round, hoping to add another talented pass catcher to the receiving room. Another top 100 pick was used by Alabama Running at his back Bryan Robinson Jr., who helped bolster his rushing offense.
Wentz’s experiment obviously didn’t work. His play had ups and downs throughout his first six weeks of the season, breaking a finger on his throwing hand. Heinicke stepped in brilliantly in his place and helped Washington get back into the playoff picture, but he, too, struggled all at once. He was nominated again and suffered his worst loss of the year.
On the bright side, Dotson and Robinson have each contributed significantly to Washington’s offense. Both players are like building blocks for the future. Star receiver Terry McLoughlin is just one yard away from achieving his career-high despite having slightly fewer targets. Curtis Samuel has remained fit and productive throughout his year, given the chance. Antonio Gibson also did a little bit of everything for the group.
Ultimately, Turner’s unit did not live up to expectations. There are many reasons as to why, but Turner holds the blame for the unit’s unsatisfactory performance.
“There were some moments where it really seemed like we were going to turn a corner,” he said. “We didn’t do what we wanted to do this year. I mean, nobody’s going to sit here and say that. I’m more responsible than anyone.”
Despite the Commander’s offensive shortcomings, Turner feels the group could be much better off in 2023 and beyond.
“Look at the guys we have. I think there’s a lot of room to grow,” Turner said. “I look forward to working with them and looking forward to continuing to improve and take this team where we want it to be.”
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