Commanders hearth Del Rio after rout by Cowboys

ASHBURN, Va. — The Commanders have fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, coach Ron Rivera introduced Friday, because the Washington protection has plummeted to the underside of the NFL rankings after coming into the season with excessive expectations.

The Commanders (4-8) have misplaced three in a row — together with their 45-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday — and eight of the previous 10. They’d hoped the protection can be a constant power, given what number of new choices that they had on offense. However as an alternative the protection turned an albatross.

Because the losses mounted, so did strain for the group to make a transfer.

Rivera, who additionally fired defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer, will take over the defensive playcalling for the remainder of the season, he mentioned throughout a video convention name Friday afternoon.

“If you happen to do not change issues, are you able to anticipate issues to vary?” Rivera mentioned. “So that is what I am doing, to see if issues will change.”

The Commanders’ protection ranks worst in factors allowed and twenty ninth in yards allowed — one yr after rating seventh and third, respectively, in these classes. The Commanders constantly gave up huge performs and did not make lots of their very own.

Washington has allowed a league-high 49 go performs of 20 or extra yards. The Commanders have not intercepted a go prior to now six video games or brought about a turnover prior to now three.

Rivera mentioned that he had thought of these strikes “for a bit bit” however that after processing Thursday’s loss to Dallas — when Washington’s protection allowed 38 factors, together with 18 within the fourth quarter — he determined to behave, letting crew proprietor Josh Harris know in regards to the strikes Friday morning.

“I imply it isn’t an indictment of Jack and Brent as a result of these guys labored their asses off making an attempt to get issues proper and making an attempt to do issues for us,” Rivera mentioned. “It is simply, for no matter purpose, it wasn’t coming collectively. We’ve not performed in addition to we want to have this season. We’re all culpable, imagine me. All of us are, coaches and gamers as a bunch.”

Rivera, who final known as performs with Carolina in 2019, mentioned there are some issues he’ll do in a different way, saying they could “play some guys in a different way.” However he did not specify what different on-field adjustments may happen, saying he was “introduced up in teaching from a special perspective” so there can be some pure variations.

“It is simply, for no matter purpose, it wasn’t coming collectively. We’ve not performed in addition to we want to have this season. We’re all culpable, imagine me. All of us are, coaches and gamers as a bunch.”

Commanders coach Ron Rivera, after the firing of DC Jack Del Rio

Harris mentioned he accepted Rivera’s suggestions to dismiss Del Rio and Vieselmeyer.

“I really feel precisely how our followers really feel immediately: disenchanted and annoyed. It is how our gamers and workers really feel as nicely,” Harris mentioned in a press release. “I knew our first season of possession would come with challenges alongside the best way, and we is not going to draw back from arduous work, nor will we be deterred by adversity. As Coach Rivera and I mentioned, all of our power for the rest of the season shall be targeted on taking part in higher, extra constant soccer and creating our gamers whereas intently evaluating the areas during which we have to enhance this offseason. Our followers deserve a crew that may compete with the NFL’s greatest and win sustainably over the long-term. I can’t waver from that mission.”

Cristian Garcia will turn out to be the interim defensive backs coach. He had been elevated to assistant defensive backs/nickels coach this season, his third within the NFL and with Washington. Richard Rodgers will stay as a senior defensive assistant/safeties coach.

In Del Rio’s first three seasons with Washington, the protection was inconsistent. In 2020, the Commanders completed fourth in factors allowed and second in yards allowed however adopted that the following season by rating twenty fifth in factors and twenty second in yards.

Washington had invested in its protection, which is why extra was anticipated. The Commanders opened the season with a line of defense thought-about probably the greatest in soccer; all 4 starters had been first-round draft picks. However that group failed to provide to the crew’s liking, and it ended up buying and selling each defensive ends, sending Montez Sweat to Chicago and Chase Young to San Francisco.

Defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jon Allen, each of whom made the Professional Bowl final yr, have regressed this season. In 2022, Allen had a go rush win price of 13.8% and seven.5 sacks, whereas Payne was at 12.7% and 11.5 sacks. This season, Allen has a go rush win price of 10.9% and 5.5 sacks, and Payne has a win price of 6.1% and two sacks.

The general protection struggled from the beginning and, by Week 4, ranked twenty ninth in factors allowed and twenty first in yards allowed.

“It was a kind of issues that simply form of began, it is arduous to get out of it, and this [was] the factor I felt was essential to do to hopefully get out of this rut and get to some extent the place we will play to our talents,” Rivera mentioned, “It was arduous as a result of we received some good guys and we did some good issues, however sadly one thing unhealthy would occur and it simply form of escalated.”

Del Rio has coached within the NFL since 1997, serving as a head coach in Jacksonville from 2003 to 2011 and with the Raiders from 2015 to 2017. He additionally was a defensive coordinator for one season with Carolina and three with Denver.

He brought about a stir in June 2022 when he referred to the occasions on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as a “dustup.” He additionally tweeted earlier that yr, in response to a put up about upcoming hearings on the occasions of Jan. 6: “Would love to know ‘the entire story’ about why the summer time of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of private property isn’t mentioned however that is??? #CommonSense.”

Rivera fined Del Rio $100,000 on the time, saying his feedback had brought about a distraction for the crew.