The three hottest seats for the Washington Commanders

With just five winning seasons since 1999, the Commanders must turn things around in 2023. Here are the three hottest seats on the team:

1. Head coach Ron Rivera

Rivera has had a .450 win percentage since joining the franchise in 2020. His last winning season was in 2017 with the Panthers. He has only three winning seasons in 12 years as a head coach. That’s not good, but maybe not as bad as what he did in Week 17.

With a winning record and the playoffs in sight, Rivera hit the panic button by benching Taylor Heinicke for Carson Wentz. The oft-injured quarterback hadn’t played since Week 6 and responded with three interceptions, no touchdowns and 143 yards passing in a loss to the Browns. 

A win would’ve kept Washington's playoff hopes alive, but it was eliminated once the Packers beat the Vikings later that day. Even worse, Rivera didn’t seem to know any of this during his postgame news conference. That’s unacceptable for a man hired to be the face and voice of the franchise. 

2. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy

Don’t feel bad for Bieniemy. He put himself on the hot seat when he left Kansas City to become Washington's offensive coordinator. He’d like to be a head coach, but after 16 interviews with 15 teams (two with the Jets), the 17-year assistant obviously believes the Commanders are his best shot.

It won’t be easy. With two veteran quarterbacks in 2022, the team scored the ninth-fewest points and its 4.9 yards per play were the NFL’s third lowest. Washington's 2023 QB could be fifth-round pick Sam Howell, who has one regular-season start.