Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera was concise when asked for his thoughts about his reunion showdown with the Carolina Panthers: “It’s just another game.”
In nine seasons with the Panthers, Rivera compiled a 54.6 winning percentage that included three NFC South titles and a Super Bowl appearance. However, the team faltered in Rivera’s last two years, including a 5-7 campaign in 2019 that ultimately led to his dismissal.
It did not take long for Rivera to find a new employer, as the Redskins immediately hired him as their new head coach in January 2020. Washington struggled in 2019 when they could muster only three wins, netting them last place in the NFC East.
Coincidentally, the Panthers also had the worst record in the NFC South, thus guaranteeing a head-to-head matchup between both squads for 2020.
The circumstances in the looming showdown have all the makings of a dramatic narrative, but Ron Rivera would have none of it.
“I think it’s going to take a little of that. Everybody wants it. The media wants it. They want to build it up. They want to hype that,” the Redskins coach said, via Sam Fortier of the Washington Post.
The Panthers and Redskins are set to go at it on Week 16 in an afternoon game at FedEx Field. With all the rumblings surrounding the game, Rivera revealed that he anticipated the matchup to go early on Washington’s calendar.
“The truth of the matter is, where they put it to me, I thought it’d be our first or second game. I really did. I thought it was going to be a real early game. To see it [late in the season] was a little bit of [a] surprise,” Rivera added.
Follow Us
Subscribe