Washington Commanders Ex Coach Jay Gruden Takes Shot At Ron Rivera After Loss To Miami Dolphins
The Washington Commanders' season is in the middle of a nosedive, and a familiar face is adding insult to injury by taking shots at head coach Ron Rivera on social media.
Former Commanders head coach Jay Gruden took a shot at Rivera on X, questioning the team's culture as they're in his fourth season with him at the helm.
"4-5 years now," Gruden writes. "Figured culture would of been the difference."
The Commanders lost to the Miami Dolphins 45-15 on Sunday at FedEx Stadium. The loss was Washington's fourth in a row and marked the second straight game they've allowed 45 points.
Washington won't finish above .500 for the fourth time in as many years with Ron Rivera as the head coach.
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
With the losses mounting, frustration has begun to boil over. Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin had no catches and was targeted only three times in the loss.
"I ran a lot of cardio," McLaurin said. "It happens, it comes with it when it's tough. Yeah, it's frustrating, but I'm going to keep coming in and practicing and playing hard. As long as I turn on the film, making extra blocks on the field, trying to clear it out for guys. I'll continue to run my routes hard, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to quit just because I'm frustrated."
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was also vocal about the toll the losses have taken on him.
"I'm tired of trying to build character," Allen said. "My character has been built up enough. I'm trying to win."
The loss also guaranteed the Commanders won't finish above .500 for the seventh straight season, including each of Rivera's four years as the head coach. Washington is 26-36-1 under Rivera in three-plus seasons with one playoff appearance.
Under Gruden, Washington was 35-49-1 and made the playoffs once in his five-plus seasons from 2014-2019.
While Gruden's tenure with Washington ended poorly, he doesn't appear to be too far off base with his comments about Rivera. McLaurin and Allen's comments certainly point to that.
And if those issues persist, it may not be long before Rivera joins Gruden in the line of coaches who have flamed out in Washington.
