Ron Rivera has been the pillar, both as a person and as a coach, for a franchise that so desperately required one; he has been the leader of the deadly Commanders.
Taylor Heinicke told Serby Says that his second-favorite locker room was Carolina’s while Cam Newton was there. “Obviously, he played the game for a very long time, and he has been coaching for a very long time. He allows everyone to be who they are. He asks that you be present and diligent when you report to work. In addition, the men respond well to him.
“He does an excellent job of keeping the outside noise outside the building. However, he handles everything so we can focus on football.”
Rivera kept pounding despite the toxic buzz surrounding the ownership of Dan Snyder and speculation about the prospective sale to Jeff Bezos, among others, his own cancer journey that began in the summer of 2020, a 1-4 start that heated up his seat, and the loss of his beloved mother Dolores.
Rivera emphasized the importance of keeping the players’ attention on the action on the field. “From the beginning of the regular season till now, we’ve had to cope with a number of injuries, and the next-man-up mindset appears to be rising to the occasion. Let’s maintain our focus on what we’ve deemed essential, as this is what we do on the field. They delegated to me all the intriguing tasks.”
He switched from Carson Wentz to the unheralded Taylor Heinicke, even after Wentz had recovered from a finger injury, because it was clear the franchise believed in Heinicke, and now the 6-5 Commanders, who host the Falcons on Sunday, are in the running for an NFC East wild-card place.
Rivera declared, “Anything is feasible.” “Everyone must still face the Eagles, but we’re done with them. We will face the Giants [twice] and Dallas [on January 8]. … It’s something I try to convey to our team by saying, “Hey guys, we control our own fate, but we have to take it one step at a time.”
Washington’s 32-21 upset of the 8-0 Eagles at the Linc on Monday night allowed the 1972 Dolphins to enjoy their cherished annual toast to a perfect season. Rivera believes he has a believing team.
“I think the guys are getting very confident in themselves, they’re getting confident in each other, and they’re trusting each other,” Rivera said. “This is one of the things that we discussed and tried to get these guys to understand: ‘You have to be able to trust yourself and also your teammates.’”
Heinicke went 7-8 as a starter last season after Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip) was sidelined in Week 1. He threw for 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
“Taylor has an underdog mindset, a never-give-up mentality, and I believe the guys have seen it,” Rivera said. “We recruit him in 2020, and he rallies the team, plays with his hair on fire, and does a lot of positive things that give us a chance to win.”
Heinicke, an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion in 2015 who has been cut by five teams and struggled as a backup quarterback in the XFL last season, is one of the feel-good tales for all seasons. The manner in which his colleagues have rallied around him is crucial to Heinicke.
He stated, “That’s what you want in a quarterback.” “There is nothing I try to accomplish that is not me; I simply strive to be my own self every day, and that comes from working hard. I attempt to cultivate these relationships in the locker room. When we get an hour or two of downtime without meetings or practice, I go around the locker room and try to play football with everyone — linebackers, defensive backs, defensive lineman, etc. So I believe that goes a great distance.”
Always occurs. As well as his affection for a game he nearly lost.
“Two years ago, I was out of the league, so every time I step onto the field, I treat it as if it may be my final game, my last snap,” Heinicke said. “I think teammates gather around that and feed off my enthusiasm.”
What would he have done if football wasn’t available?
He answered, “That’s a fantastic question, but I still don’t know the answer; I’m trying to figure it out.” “When I was in the XFL and COIVD occurred, I called Coach Scott Turner [Commanders offensive coordinator] to inquire about available coaching positions. When I’m done playing, I could potentially pursue this path.”
In the interim, Heinicke wears the same chip on his shoulder as every afterthought.
“I’m still told that I’m too little, don’t have a strong enough arm, can’t win games, etc.,” he stated. “I hear it, but I don’t really give it much mind. My primary objective throughout the years has been to show those who believed in me correct, not those who doubted me.
Heinicke grew up watching Brett Favre in Wisconsin.
Heinicke stated, “I grew up wanting to be him, and you can see a lot of his influence on my game through the intensity I play with.” “I grew up watching Aaron Rodgers, and when I began studying film, I began to watch Russell Wilson and Drew Brees frequently.”
Understood. Heinicke is 6 feet tall and 205 pounds. He characterizes his quarterbacking style as “somewhat gunslinger-like.” I threw a lot of poor interceptions last year, especially in the red zone, and that’s kind of a gunslinger attitude, so I’m trying to level it out — I’m trying to be a smart gunslinger, if that’s even possible.
Rivera notes the manner in which team leaders Terry McLaurin and Jonathan Allen have communicated and disseminated his message within the locker room, and the already formidable defensive front is eagerly anticipating the return of defensive end Chase Young from a ruptured ACL suffered one year ago.
“These guys collapse the pocket so quickly that I feel bad for every quarterback we face,” Heinicke said.
Young will deliver a psychological boost before he reaches peak physical condition.
“He adds a lot of enthusiasm and plays with a lot of energy,” Rivera explained.
Rivera miraculously did not miss a single game during his seven-week treatment for squamous cell carcinoma, which fueled the Commanders’ run to the 2020 division title.
He recalls his mother reminding him, “You have to be selfish and take care of yourself.” They would converse nearly every day.
“Mom was quite protective…. “She would go Mama Bear on anyone who mistreated us in an instant,” Rivera claimed. “Mom was really secretive and did a great deal of things on her own. She did not seek much assistance.”
His father Eugenio was a Vietnam War veteran with 32 years of military service.
Rivera stated, “With my father, it was all about hard work and discipline.” “He never really discussed Vietnam, but the one thing he did tell me was… So I get the head coaching position with the Carolina Panthers [in 2011], and while I was home visiting that summer just before I had to return to training camp, my father told me: ‘Now Ronnie, remember this: When all hell is breaking loose, when things are out of control, when bad things are happening, you must be in control and you must remain calm.’ He stated, “Because when everything falls apart, everyone will look to you for leadership, guidance, and the answer.” You cannot be out of control.
When Rivera was asked last month why the Commanders were at the bottom of the NFC East and he responded, “Quarterback,” he realized he needed to apologize. As in quarterback Carson Wentz.
This is something I learned from my parents about taking responsibility. Rivera stated. “You must take the initiative and be willing to do the duties of a leader. I was really lucky to grow up in a military family.
Commanders of the commander do not take prisoners.