Ron Rivera: ‘We’ve got to find out just how tough we really are’
How will the Washington Commanders respond to Sunday’s 37-3 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills? Head coach Ron Rivera believed the game was a measuring stick game for the Commanders after two wins to begin the season; now, his team must respond to a deflating loss where nothing went right.
Washington turned the ball over five times, and quarterback Sam Howell was sacked nine times in the loss. After the game, Rivera spoke about how what happens next could define the remainder of the season for the Commanders.
“How are we going to react?” Rivera said. “How are we going to handle it? That’s what I’m looking for now. Now, we’ve got to find out just how tough we really are. Are we mentally tough? Are we physically tough enough to get through it? When you’re winning, it masks a lot of things. The bare truth is out there right now. We know exactly, based on the tape, what happened, and we’ll be able to sit down and talk and get it corrected. I believe if we approach it the right way, we give ourselves an opportunity going forward, and that’s what we’re going to find out. We’re going to find out just how good we are, how tough we are.”
The Commanders have generally responded well to these types of performances in Rivera’s tenure. The unfortunate news is the Philadelphia Eagles are next up on the schedule. The strength of Philadelphia’s defense is the defensive line. The Eagles are deep and loaded at defensive end and defensive tackle.
The Eagles haven’t necessarily been dominant through two weeks and play the Buccaneers on Monday night. Perhaps the Commanders are catching them at the right time.
Rivera made a lot of valid points. However, he is also being judged by new ownership and cannot afford another performance like Sunday. Next week’s game against the Eagles is massive for everyone in the organization.
