Intentional or not, Ron Rivera’s ‘quarterback’ blunder makes an impact originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Ron Rivera spoke the word “quarterback” and all of a sudden a room full of reporters typing on keyboards and shuffling about cell phones went silent.
Did Rivera just completely bury Carson Wentz? Did he mean it? How on earth will the reportedly fragile QB handle that level of criticism?
Wait a second. What just happened?
The question was simple enough. With a 1-4 record the Commanders sit in last place in the NFC East. The other three teams in the division are a combined 13-2.
Rivera was asked why the rest of the division was so far ahead of his squad. The coach paused and then said simply: “quarterback.”
“Why do you think the teams in the division are farther ahead at this point?”
Ron Rivera: “quarterback”
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Considering how careful and calculated Rivera and the entire Commanders organization had been when discussing Wentz going all the way back to March, it was a marked departure in tone.
Rivera later tried to clarify his statement. He wasn’t suggesting Wentz wasn’t good enough, rather that the Commanders now need to build around their signal caller as he gets more comfortable with his new team.
As far as clarifications go, it didn’t clarify much.
It was only last year the Commanders’ boss suggested the plan was to build up the whole roster and then drop a passer in. Now they need to build around Wentz? And earlier this year Rivera said repeatedly that this squad was built to win this year.
In a subsequent interview with NBC Sports Washington, Rivera made clear he believes in Wentz and his role as the Commanders QB.
“I think Carson has held his own, I really do. I think there’s been a couple we didn’t give him enough help and there’s been a couple he’s had pretty good help and you see his ability,” Rivera said. “As he continues to grow in this offense I think he’s doing the things we need him to do.”
Unfortunately for Washington, the damage is already done.
The national media seized on the quote, and for a player on his third team in three years and already with six interceptions through five games, it doesn’t matter if Rivera didn’t actually mean what he said.
When you’re walking a dog, and you step in it, it doesn’t matter that you didn’t mean to. You already stepped in it.
The good news, however, is that Wentz says he doesn’t listen to the media or check Twitter or Instagram. Sources within the organization backed that up, saying Wentz truly does block out the noise.
Plus, it’s not like Wentz has been awful. He’s top five in the league in pass yards and tied for sixth in touchdown passes. He takes a lot of sacks, but he’s playing behind a putrid interior offensive line and on a team with an inconsistent run game. Wentz turns the ball over too much, and at bad times, but that’s not new.
Wentz is a part of Washington’s struggles, for sure, but he’s hardly the only culprit. Whether he meant to or not, even briefly, Rivera made it seem like that.
It seems unlikely the quote from his head coach will completely stay off Wentz’s radar, but it’s quite possible that Rivera has built up enough goodwill with his QB that it gets largely ignored.
After all, the Commanders traded for Wentz this offseason when the rest of the league seemed disinterested. That should matter more than an off-the-cuff remark.
That can work as long as Washington wins Thursday night in Chicago, and to do so, Wentz will need to play well.
But should he struggle, or the Commanders losing streak stretch to five straight, this quote will hardly be forgotten.
