Commanders firing of Jack Del Rio was overdue — is head coach next to go?

Following Thursday's 45-10 drubbing by the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Commanders (4-8) fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brett Vieselmeyer.

This should have happened weeks — if not seasons — ago. Poor play defensively is a chief reason why head coach Ron Rivera probably will follow Del Rio out the door after the season.

In nearly four seasons under Del Rio, Washington's defense had stretches of strong play, ranking second in 2020 and third in 2022 in fewest yards allowed per game. However, this can be mostly attributed to the excellent talent Washington had on that side of the ball, not the man coordinating the defense.

In 2023, the bottom has fallen out on a defense that ranks 29th in yards allowed per game (377.7).

Players have frequently underachieved in Del Rio's 4-3 scheme, including first-round linebacker Jamin Davis and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. Busted coverages and missed tackles had been Commanders staples throughout most of Del Rio's tenure, particularly in the secondary. The unit has played far too conservatively in no-huddle situations, aiming to prevent the big play but routinely leaving receivers wide open for easy first downs.

Del Rio has been a center of controversy off the field, too. In 2022, the team fined him $100K for comments referring to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in Washington as a "dustup." That came weeks after he told a fan criticizing his handling of defensive lineman Daron Payne to "Bite Deez" on his since-deleted "X" account.

In short, this was a coach whose behavior was undisciplined and unprofessional away from the field. His defense, meanwhile, played inconsistently on the field. Del Rio should have been fired following the 2021 season after his unit ranked 22nd in yards per game (359.3). Rivera's loyalty to Del Rio through the next summer has proved to be a huge mistake.

If Del Rio had been let go earlier this season — say following the embarrassing 40-20 loss against the winless Bears in Week 5 — there would have been enough time for Washington to turn its season around. Perhaps the Commanders would have hung onto standout DEs Montez Sweat and Chase Young instead of trading them had the team been playing better.

Instead, the Commanders are floundering and their season is over. 

It seems likely Rivera will finish the season, but he's unlikely to be back in 2024. His unwillingness to get a better defensive coordinator will be a chief reason why.