The Washington Commanders have fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio after Thursday’s 45-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday — their third straight loss.
Head coach Ron Rivera said he would take over the defensive playcalling with defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer also fired.
“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 are 4-8 on the season and their defense is the worst in the NFL in terms of points allowed and 29th in yards allowed.
“It’s not an indictment of Jack and Brent because those guys worked their asses off trying to get things right and trying to do things for us,” Rivera told reporters on a video call.
“It’s just, for whatever reason, it wasn’t coming together. We haven’t played as well as we would like to have this season. We’re all culpable, believe me. We all are, coaches and players as a group,” he added.
Del Rio had previously been head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders before joining Washington in 2020.
Commanders owner Josh Harris said Rivera had recommended the changes to him and said that he was upset by the performances of the team.
“I feel exactly how our fans feel today: disappointed and frustrated. It’s how our players and staff feel as well. I knew our first season of ownership would include challenges along the way, and we will not shy away from hard work, nor will we be deterred by adversity,” he said in a statement.
“Our fans deserve a team that can compete with the NFL’s best and win sustainably over the long-term,” he said.
