Here is background on Rivera when he was a DC
2004 through 2006 with the Bears
2004: 12th total defense, 13 in scoring
2005: 2nd total defense, 1st in scoring
2006: 5th total defense, 3rd in scoring
NOTE: Bears had an outstanding defense those years, making the Super Bowl in his 3rd year
Question is why he left the Bears for the Chargers for the same position? I had heard from a former Chicago area sportscaster that he and Lovie Smith didnt get along
He was interviewed by the Cowboys in 2007 when they hired Wade Phillips
2007 through 2010 with the Chargers
2007: 14th total defense, 5th in scoring
2008: 25th total defense, 15th in scoring
2009: 16th total defense, 11th in scoring
2010: 1st total defense, 10th in scoring
NOTE: He started off all right with the Chargers fell back in 2nd year then improved the next 2 years
When he was the Bears, they had no QB, the Chargers had Phillip Rivers at QB and a high scoring offense
2011 through 2019 with the Panthers
3 winning seasons (2013, 2015, 2017), 1 SB app
2020 through 2023 with the Commanders
0 winning seasons, 1 NFC East title (2020)
Its hard to judge his Commanders years for a few factors
1) The first year COVID and he had no contact with the players
2) He was sick and had cancer
3) The franchise has been very bad
4) he had more say in personnel, he isnt going to have as much in Dallas
Rivera is similiar to Quinn, he's coming off a bad run as a HC, who knows what his future plans are?
Rams interviewed him earlier this year
Article said he runs for zone using cover 3 or quarters (cover 4), prevent and has problems without a dominant pass rush
Quinn uses cover 3
Big question is if Rivera is hired to be DC will the players play as hard for him as they did for Quinn?
ridiculous
