ASHBURN, Va. — Following the Commanders third loss in a row to a previously winless Chicago Bears, fans and owners alike were upset. New co-owner Magic Johnson said the team played with "no intensity or fire," on social media, prompting some of the Commanders faithful to call for the firing of head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
The 40-20 home loss dropped Washington to 2-3 on the season. It was the fourth consecutive game the team has allowed 33 or more points, and the heat could soon be on Rivera and Del Rio if they can't stop that troubling trend.
With some extra time to prepare for the Atlanta Falcons up next on Oct. 15, it appears Rivera and Del Rio will remain the coaches in charge of making those adjustments.
"There's some things we gotta do better. Most certainly. A lot of things we can do better," Rivera told WUSA9's Chick Hernandez.
While the calls for Rivera's ouster have gotten louder as the season continues, the skipper says there is one thing that can turn a season around.
"Time. That's the truth of the matter," Rivera said. He points to the team's youth as a reason to not overreact. Growth takes time. "We'll start to get to a point where you'll see it. Hopefully it's sooner rather than later."
But is time running out for Rivera to see success with his young squad? Rivera said he does not listen to what's being said on social media.
"There's a great saying and I've said it before, and I'll continue to say it: 'Don't draw me a map unless you've been there.' It's one of 32 jobs. I'm very fortunate to have one of the 32. I'll continue to work hard at what I do, and try to do everything I can to the best of our ability. At the end of the day, all we can do is go out and play the best," Rivera said.
Next up, the Commanders head to Atlanta to try snap the losing streak.