The Washington Commanders fell to the New York Giants yet again on Sunday. Two of the Giants’ three wins this season have come against the Commanders.
The Commanders fell to 4-7 in an embarrassing 31-19 loss which featured six turnovers. Despite these offensive struggles, the Commanders nearly had a chance to win in the final seconds, but quarterback Sam Howell threw a pick-six, his third interception, to seal the game.
The Commanders’ season is getting more and more out of hand and prompts the question: Should head coach Ron Rivera be fired?
Ron Rivera’s Job Status After Loss to New York Giants
Giants third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito had a solid performance in the surprising win as he completed 69.2% of his passes for 246 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. DeVito became the first Giants quarterback to throw five TD passes in his first two starts.
Howell completed 68.9% of his passes for 255 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.
The Giants entered the matchup on a three-game losing streak, with their most recent win coming against the Commanders in Week 7.
The Commanders have now lost seven of their last nine games after starting the season 2-0. The team was hoping to get the chance to turn its season around with a win against the Giants this week.
“It’s a chance to get ourselves on track and keep going,” Rivera said ahead of the matchup. “And I think it’s really about focusing and preparing and doing the things that we need to give us the best opportunity to win.”
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The opposite happened for the team as a disastrous six turnovers tarnished any chances of a comeback. Fans have called for Rivera to be fired various times throughout the season, and they surely will again after this loss.
Rivera is in his fourth year with the team and has not led them to a winning record, although they did win the NFC East in 2020.
Ahead of the matchup with the Giants, Rivera said he was “confident and comfortable” in what he has done since joining the organization and has not thought about his job security.
“My big disappointment is that we haven’t played as well on defense as we’ve needed to. Does that make my job security shaky? It could,” Rivera said. “I have no idea what [principal owner Josh] Harris is going to do. The truth is, it’s the nature of the game. I get it. If it happens, it happens. If I stay, I stay. Until then, we will continue to work.”
Should Rivera be fired? It would not be the first time. In 2019, he was fired by Carolina’s owner David Tepper after nearly nine seasons with the Panthers when the team fell to 5-7.
Rivera said the loss to the Giants this week was a “low point.” When asked if he thought his program would be better in Year 4, he said people would say he was making an excuse no matter what his answer was.
“We’re just going to take the responsibility, show up tomorrow, get prepared, and we’re going to get ready to play Dallas because we have a very short week,” Rivera said. “Sometimes you win ’em sometimes you don’t. They’re professionals too … they’re going to show up, and they’re going to play hard.”
The Commanders likely will not find another win in Week 12 as they face the 7-3 Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Many will agree that this loss to the Giants should be the end for Rivera, but it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds forward.
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