CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ron Rivera’s biggest critic during the Carolina Panthers' 12-0 start hasn’t been the media or anybody in upper management.
It has been his mom.
“She’s always been my hardest critic,’’ Rivera said of Dolores Rivera on Friday. “Now it’s not just about winning. Now it’s about doing things better.
“She knows the game. She’s been around it her whole life. She usually has some pretty good insight about things. One of her favorite things is for us to blitz.’’
Rivera typically calls his mom on Mondays if the Panthers play well, which they have for most of this season and most of an NFL-best 16-game regular-season winning streak.