Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera will take over defensive play-calling on Sunday after firing Jack Del Rio last week. Rivera was asked if he likes calling the plays.
“When it works,” he joked.
Welcome to the big leagues, Coach. His first task will be to tame one of the NFL’s most potent offenses in the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins and Commanders arrive at Sunday’s game as near-mirror images of each other. Washington is 4-8, with an offense that has struggled to generate big plays, and a team that lacks excitement.
Miami is 8-3, and is one of the NFL’s most fun teams to watch. Receiver Tyreek Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have logged the most explosive plays in the NFL, and hit the century mark during their win over the Jets last week.
“You know what kind of players they have: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, the running backs who are just super explosive and athletic,” Commanders defensive captain Jonathan Allen said. “They’re going to attack our edges, and we’ve got to be stout on the edge and got to have a lot of great pursuit to the ball. When they do throw the ball, you’ve got to be in Tua’s face and make him uncomfortable and try to rattle him.”
Both teams have had extra practice time, with Washington losing to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving and Miami defeating the Jets the next day in a Friday matinee.
For all their differences, though, the stats also show one funny similarity: Quarterbacks with big passing numbers.
Sam Howell is the NFL leader with 3,339 passing yards, and Tagovailoa is near him with 3,177, and has played one fewer game.
Those yards have told very different stories. For Washington, it’s been about giving a young quarterback opportunities to learn. In Miami, it’s been about dominating opponents.
Rivera may not be able to stop the Dolphins attack, but he’s hopeful to contain it.
The buzzword in Ashburn this week has been “simplify,” which is what Rivera is promising to do to the defense. Cornerback Kendall Fuller said it might mean playing the same principles and coverages on all three downs, instead of having calls unique to each one.
The goal is to let each player work his one-on-one matchup instead of having to fit into a bigger picture.
“You’re just able to focus in on certain calls: things that you know that are going to be called, things that you know that we’re going to run,” Fuller said. “When you watch tape, you’re able to put yourself in those plays and prepare yourself to be where you need to be … just go out there and execute what it is and do it at a high level.”
The move to simplify also allows for better evaluation of individual players ahead of contract decisions this offseason, even if it might not directly translate to immediate results on the field.
Part of the challenge is that Tagovailoa has been hard to rattle — he releases the ball quickly and generally is able to find open receivers in Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s offensive schemes.
Rivera said he’ll borrow a page from his days as a coordinator and work to have continuous discussion among coaches on his headset.
Allen said the early returns from the switch-up have been positive, and it’s put a little life into a season that is desperately in need of excitement.
“It’s exciting seeing Coach be hands-on and more involved with the defense,” Allen said. “I’m excited. I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond on Sunday.”
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