“If you don’t change things, can you expect things to change?” Rivera said. “So that’s what I’m doing, to see if things will change.”
The Commanders’ defense ranks worst in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed — one year after ranking seventh and third, respectively, in those categories. The Commanders consistently gave up big plays and failed to make many of their own.
Washington has allowed a league-high 49 pass plays of 20 or more yards. The Commanders haven’t intercepted a pass in the past six games or caused a turnover in the past three.
Rivera said that he had thought about these moves “for a little bit” but that after processing Thursday’s loss to Dallas — when Washington’s defense allowed 38 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter — he decided to act, letting team owner Josh Harris know about the moves Friday morning.