Commanders’ Ron Rivera suggests he was unaware team could be eliminated from playoffs with loss

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera raised eyebrows Sunday after giving a cryptic answer to a question about the team’s playoff scenario after a loss to the Cleveland Browns.

For the Commanders to make the playoffs on Sunday, the team needed to beat the Browns, lose the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, and lose or tie the Green Bay Packers. However, they were unable to hold out at the end of the negotiations and were facing elimination by the end of the day.

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Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera speaks with officials during the first half of the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022.
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobson)

Rivera suggested in the postgame press conference that he was unaware of the threat of being eliminated from playoff contention before the game. switched to Washington he lost 24-10.

He was asked about his quarterback strategy for Week 18 if Washington were eliminated.

“Can we eliminate it?” Rivera asked after a pause.

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According to ESPN, Rivera later said he was frustrated with the question and didn’t think the team would lose, so he didn’t have a strategy for losing.

Carson Wentz #11 of the Washington Commanders throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of a game at FedExField in Landover, Md. Jan. 1, 2023.
(Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)

By the end of Sunday afternoon, every team the Commanders needed to lose had won, slashing their chances of making the postseason to zero.

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Washington has lost two of its last three games in a Week 13 draw with the New York Giants, the only positive on the docket these days.