Ron Rivera Clarifies Knowledge of Commanders' Playoff Scenarios After Viral Video

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera exemplified why you always have to account for the worst-case scenario.

Following Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Rivera appeared to be surprised to learn his team could be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 17.

Some wondered whether Rivera was being sarcastic and simply picked the worst time. He later clarified to say he hadn't in fact understood all of the postseason implications Sunday:

You expect an NFL head coach to believe in his players and foresee a win, but it's also a coach's job to understand the bigger picture. For a coach as experienced as Rivera to ignore the consequences of a defeat is almost unfathomable.

And it's the perfect capper to a dreadful Sunday for Washington.

Rivera's original response and his subsequent follow-up are likely to grab the headlines and obscure the totality of his squad's defeat.

The Commanders are now guaranteed to finish no better than .500, meaning they still haven't posted a winning record since 2016. The drought is almost the same for Rivera, whose last winning season was in 2017 with the Carolina Panthers.

In what was effectively a must-win game, the 60-year-old also handed the offense back to Carson Wentz, who promptly finished 16-of-28 for 143 yards and three interceptions.

Taylor Heinicke hasn't been prolific this season, throwing for 1,859 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts. And Washington was riding a three-week winless streak with him at the helm.

Still, you didn't need the benefit of hindsight to argue he was a superior option to Wentz in such a critical situation.

The ongoing drama surrounding the potential sale of the franchise makes it difficult to project too far into the future. A new ownership regime could mean Rivera is afforded a little more job security than he'd have with Daniel and Tanya Snyder.

But days like Sunday will make it tough for him to justify getting another year on the sideline.