Riverboat Ron Gambled & Lost

It was the gamble heard 'round the NFL world and as usual, the Washington Football Team came up on the short end.

Don’t tell “Riverboat” Ron Rivera to play it safe. That’s for losers, which is what the Washington Football Team was on Sunday.

That’s OK. The 20-19 loss to the previously winless New York Giants will steel Washington for future tough games. Rivera said players need to learn to always play to win even if it means losing for now.

It was a tough loss, though.

Rick's Report Card Grades - Week 6 - Loss @ New York Giants

First quarterback Kyle Allen fumbled on a sack with 3:29 left in a 13-13 game that New York returned for a touchdown. No matter – Washington carved up New York’s prevent defense with Cam Sims scoring on a 22-yard reception with 36 seconds left.

Allen didn’t head to the sidelines after the score. He spent last season in Carolina under Rivera and knew the coach would gamble like they did twice in 2019. Rivera wanted to win to keep the team in the NFC East chase and cement Allen as the starter.

The only problem – New York covered the end zone perfectly. Now it was Allen’s time to gamble. He could chance a five-yard run to the goal line where two Giants defenders would have a shot at him. Maybe Allen’s momentum would get him into the end zone, but it might leave him a yard short, too. Allen opted for a risky pass that found the ground.

Sometimes, Riverboat Ron’s bluff is called.

Certainly, it was an interesting afternoon for Rivera making tough calls. After Washington punted to the New York one-yard line, a running-into-the-kicker penalty made it fourth and four at New York’s 41. Failing here would give the Giants a short field. They already had the momentum and a 13-3 lead that might have become 20-3 and spiked Washington’s chances.

But, Washington converted and five plays later closed to 13-10 with 17 seconds before halftime. Riverboat Ron won that hand.

Then there was a red flag challenge in the early moments of the fourth quarter. Rivera risked a time out to prove officials spotted the ball poorly. Rivera won, avoiding a fourth-down. Washington soon followed with a field goal to tie the game. Riverboat Ron was flush with chips.

But the last gamble will surely be the talk of Washington this week, which would be a refreshing change with the presidential election just two weeks away.

Conventional logic dictated kicking the extra point to force overtime. Washington had all the momentum. They scored twice in the fourth quarter while the defense held New York’s offense scoreless in the second half.

But you don’t earn the nickname “Riverboat” without some risks. This time, the boat went over the falls.

Rivera was angry afterwards, knowing victory slipped away just like in Cleveland earlier this season. Washington could be 3-2 with some luck. Instead, it’s 1-5 entering Sunday against nemesis Dallas will lead to much grumbling by a fan base becoming disenchanted with its new coach.

Sometimes, life on the river gets choppy.

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Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Washington football team in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks