Could the Commanders opt for a defensive-minded head coach?

Things haven’t worked out for Ron Rivera and the Washington Commanders. In his fourth season, Rivera has compiled a 26-36-1 record with Washington and has four games remaining this season. The Commanders will be favored to lose all four games.

With new ownership in town, this is expected to be Rivera’s last season in Washington. New owner Josh Harris is a major proponent of analytics and has already made moves to make the Commanders more analytics-friendly by hiring Eugene Shen in October.

Who will replace Rivera? It’s too early to tell because Harris is also expected to bring in a new general manager. The bigger question is, will Washington opt for an offense-minded head coach, such as Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, or a defensive-minded coach, like Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings?

Analytics often favor the offensive coaches. And after the struggles over the last four years, most fans would prefer an offensive-minded coach. Rivera, a former NFL linebacker, made his name in coaching circles as a successful defensive coordinator.

Regardless of what side of the ball Washington’s next head coach comes from, the development of a young quarterback will be the highest priority.

But is this the year for the Commanders to choose for an offensive-minded coach? There are some appealing candidates, who come from a defensive background.

There are worthy offensive candidates, such as Ben Johnson, Frank Smith (Dolphins OC), Brian Johnson (Eagles OC), Eric Bieniemy (Commanders OC) and Bobby Slowik (Texans OC). But the pool of defensive coaches is deeper. Here are some of the top defensive-minded coaches who could land promotions in 2024:

Cowboys DC Dan Quinn

Vikings DC Brian Flores

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero

49ers DC Steve Wilks

Rams DC Raheem Morris

Four of these five have been head coaches before. Quinn led the Falcons…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/could-commanders-opt-defensive-minded-113004675.html

Author : Commanders Wire

Publish date : 2023-12-11 11:30:04

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