Why Alex Smith being upset with Rivera matters originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Amid the Washington Commanders seeming inability to get out of their own way and the season beginning its downward spiral, head coach Ron Rivera’s recent ‘quarterback’ comment launched the team into the national spotlight.
Alex Smith, a former quarterback for Rivera when they were known as the Washington Football Team and now analyst on ESPN, took umbridge with those comments. And in reacting to a clip of Rivera’s presser, the cool-mannered retired QB lashed out at his former boss.
“I had a really hard time watching that,” Smith said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. “When I heard it, I couldn’t believe it. I’m not here to defend Carson Wentz, he’s had a whole career of ups and downs, but this is a defensive head coach that’s absolutely driving the bus over his quarterback.”
This isn’t an outsider or national media pundit trying to pile on the criticism that Rivera has faced since uttering that one word. This is one of his former players, someone who was in the locker room under Rivera not too long ago.
The original comments from Rivera stem from a Monday press conference where he was asked what the difference was between his team’s attempt at a rebuild and what the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys (a combined 13-2 this year) have done to turnaround their franchises.
His response was one word, “quarterback.”
Smith hasn’t been known for causing controversy, speaking critically as a player nor speaking outside of his purview as a media member. He’s been named captains of multiple NFL teams and understood the long view coaches sometimes have to take.
By all accounts, Smith is simply the definition of a good soldier.
Yet, he spoke out in this situation and not only didn’t agree, but called out the coach. He called out his judgement by labeling him “a defensive head coach” and then listed stats that were not kind to Washington’s defense this year.
That’s not what someone would expect from Smith given his past.
Now the coach wasn’t necessarily putting all the blame on Wentz. In a follow-up question, Rivera mentioned that the rest of their NFC East rivals have built their teams around their current quarterbacks. The Commanders haven’t had a chance to do that with Wentz arriving just this offseason. It’s easy to see where Rivera’s line of thinking was going and an ill-timed one-word answer was probably not suitable for that question.
Whether or not you follow that line of thinking (Dallas did not build a roster around Cooper Rush and the only clear difference in New York’s Daniel Jones offense is Brian Daboll on the sideline) is a different matter.
“The blame has got to be spread around,” Smith said. “This is a team sport, it is the ultimate team sport. How a head coach can stand up there, in front of the media and usher one word and it’s quarterback…”
Even if Rivera didn’t intend to call out Wentz, he did so by saying that position is the difference.
