CAPITAL GAINS!
From sex scandals and race rows to cancer and injuries, Washington have beaten the odds...with help from Churchill
IF IT could have gone wrong this season for Ron Rivera and his Washington Football Team, it did. Yet with a little help from Winston Churchill, the 58-year- old overcame unassailable odds and tumult to lead them into the NFL play-offs for the first time in five years. He was parachuted in a year ago to salvage a young 3-13 team — that is three wins and 13 losses in the previous season. Things were toxic off the field, too. In July, owner Daniel Snyder rather reluctantly dropped the ‘Redskins’ from the franchise’s name and logo after years of pressure over its racist connotations towards Native Americans.
Then 15 female former employees said they had been sexually harassed between 2006 and 2019. It emerged that one was paid a $1.6million settlement in 2009.
During a covid- shortened pre-season, Rivera (below) was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer. It had spread into a lymph node in his neck. He had two months of aggressive chemotherapy, still attending every game and only missing three practices. He napped between meetings and was carried by a golf cart.
He found solace by reading Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile, a book about Winston Churchill’s first year in office.
‘It was the never- say- die attitude that Churchill had,’ Rivera said. ‘It was one of the speeches he gave in the House of Commons. “They’ll fight anywhere, they’ll fight on the beaches, they’ll fight until the last gurgling breath”. That is inspiring. I’m learning that anything is possible if you’re willing to commit to it and fight for it.’
Washington started the season 1-3. Rivera dropped second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, only for back-up Kyle Allen to suffer a season-ending leg injury. Now at 2-7, things appeared to be going badly off the rails.
Enter Alex Smith. The 36-yearold was the NFL’s hottest newcomer in 2005 but almost lost his life two years ago.
Smith sustained a compound fracture in his right leg. The wound became infected, sepsis took hold and Smith required 17 surgeries. The leg was almost amputated. It was a miracle that he could walk again, let alone throw a football.
Smith’s cool head and a fearsome defensive line helped them to four straight wins. Aided by playing in the NFC East, the weakest division, they were suddenly in the play-off picture.
But a calf injury sidelined Smith for two games — both defeats. Haskins returned but there was more chaos when he was as pictured maskless in a strip club.
Still not 100 per cent, Smith came back for the last match of the regular season, needing victory over Philadelphia to make the play-offs.
Washington won 20-14 to qualify with a 7-9 record. But the win raised eyebrows.
With nothing to play for, Eagles coach Doug Pederson rested in-form quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter. His decision infuriated the New York Giants, who would have won the division with an Eagles win.
‘ I’m not apologising for winning. You apologise for losing,’ Rivera said.
Aside from the shortened 1982 season, only two teams have made the play-offs with a losing record — they both won their first postseason game.
This was not lost on Rivera, whose 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. The following season, Carolina toppled the Cardinals again to make the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals coach then? Bruce Arians — now coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their play-off opponents.
With Smith and several other key players injury doubts, Rivera is facing one of the game’s greats, , a 43- year- old six- time Super Bowl champion.
‘It’s Tom Brady. Let’s be realistic, he’s having a phenomenal year. Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch him on a down,’ Rivera said. ‘ The old saying goes, “All you need is a chance”. That’s what we have — a chance.’
After all he has overcome this year, who would bet against Rivera beating the odds again?