Jack Del Rio Has 'Great Impact' on Commanders' Defense, Says Ron Rivera

The Washington Commanders defense was a Top-10 unit last season, and Ron Rivera has loved the standards that Jack Del Rio continues to push as Week 1 edges closer.

The Washington Commanders have long been the laughing stock of the NFL, but over the last couple of seasons, the perception has started to change. While much of the offseason plaudits have been for new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Sam Howell, the other side of the ball is getting left behind.

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and his defense have perhaps gone under the radar of some, but not coach Ron Rivera. Coming off a good season where Washington ranked 7th for points allowed per game, Rivera states that Del Rio has his unit ready to go again.

"This year I love the way he started again, just basically, ‘Hey, just because we were where we were, doesn't mean we can get back. We've got to work to get back.’ He's had a great impact on our guys this year," Rivera said. "I really think it started the right way, and that's been a huge plus.”

Driving those standards is a great way to continue to improve the roster. When it comes to the defense, delving a little deeper, we can see what kind of job Del Rio has done.

Since 2010, Washington has only had a Top-10 defense twice, and funnily enough, it has been in the last three years. In 2020, Del Rio had Washington 4th for points allowed (20.6) and last season, 7th with 20.2 points per game allowed.

© Geoff Burke | 2020 Sep 13

That makes for good reading, but if we again look back, the transformation of the defense under Del Rio comes into crystal clear view.

Prior to Del Rio, Greg Manusky was the coordinator, and in his three years, Washington ranked 27th (2017), 15th (2018), and 27th (2019) for points allowed. Going back even further, from 2010 through to 2016, Washington never had a defense that was above 17th in the NFL for points allowed.

In two of Del Rio's three seasons, he has the Commanders in the top 10 in points allowed.

With fresh optimism enveloping Washington's building after the team's sale to a group led by Josh Harris, many have then fixated on the feel-good story of Howell becoming the starter.

However, don't overlook what Del Rio and this defense have managed to do; something is building in Washington, and the defense might be leading the unexpected charge.