NFL.com State of the Franchise: Washington

[MikeT14]

https://www.nfl.com/news/state-of-the-franchise-redskins-trending-up-with-ron-rivera-in-tow

Quote

We know Rivera is an excellent football coach. In fact, he's a two-time Coach of the Year recipient (2013, 2015), and he led the Carolina Panthers to their second ever Super Bowl appearance. Overall, he went 76-63-1 over nine seasons in Charlotte, and everyone knows how strong a presence he is as a leader. Rivera's one of the most highly respected coaches in the NFL right now.

He was often the face of the franchise for Carolina, something that could be used in Washington. After fluttering through the last couple of seasons, the team is in need of an identity and a winning culture. That is exactly what Rivera is expected to bring, especially as the team is nurturing a new quarterback (more on him in a moment). The hiring of Rivera shows that this team isn't in for a quick fix. Rather, it's looking for him to rebuild for the long haul. And there aren't many coaches I'd rather have in charge.

Quote

Rivera has talked glowingly about Haskins. McLaurin -- who's been Haskins' teammate for years, going back to their Ohio State days -- has also given the QB rave reviews for his offseason work. Social media photos show Haskins has dropped a lot of weight, looking like he's in the best shape of his life. And let's not ignore the fact that the Redskins scored nearly nine more points per game last season when Haskins was the starter. After his three-pick debut in relief duty back in Week 4, the rookie did a nice job taking care of the football. There are some positives to his game. And from the looks of it, he's putting in the work to get better. 

Quote

For 2020 to be a successful season, the Redskins MUST:

Score some points. You don't have to be the 1999 St. Louis Rams, but make visits to the end zone a more regular occurrence, so the defense isn't completely hung out to dry.

Figure out the quarterback position. Let Dwayne Haskins do his thing. As I touched on above, I think he can take strides in 2020. By the end of the year, though, the Redskins need to know whether they have a quarterback to build around or not.

Double your win total. Rivera won six games during his first season with the Panthers. That is a modest goal. I wouldn't rule out eight here. But let's keep those expectations realistic for a team that finished the 2019 season at an NFC-worst 3-13.

In closing

For the first time in a long time, I feel pretty good about the direction of the Redskins. The defense should make you instantly competitive. And you can be a major annoyance to any team if Haskins improves like I'm anticipating. It seems like only a matter of time before Rivera will have this team back in the playoff hunt.

I won't spoil everything, but above is some tidbits dropped. 

[ripsean21]

We will see. I love the players I really admire the HC and really respect Kyle Smith’s vision for our roster. I’m excited about Haskins. Maybe he does fail but I’m very outspoken on mobile guys and this kid sold me in HS and college in limited reps. I believe this guy has what it takes

[naptownskinsfan]

I don't know if I would call him an excellent football coach.  He's well respected, a great leader, demands accountability, but I've more than covered my concerns about the on-field results especially over the past four years.  

Clearly, the culture is changing, and that is important.  What is also important is Rivera focusing on that, and making sure Turner and Del Rio focus on the X's and O's portion.  

 

[turtle28]

Excellent football coach, excellent defensive coach, excellent leader who builds strong cultures. I think he will build into a good team over the next two years, now whether we ever become a great team again depends a lot on the players and for that, we’ll see.