NFC head coach could be fired with bad Week 12 loss?

Feb 1, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; The NFL shield logo is seen at midfield at SoFi Stadium. Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will be played on Feb. 13, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Several NFL teams will be weighing whether or not to make a head coaching change in the coming weeks, and there is growing speculation that one veteran coach could be fired sooner rather than later.

The Washington Commanders are coming off their worst loss of the season, which was a 31-19 defeat at the hands of the Tommy DeVito-led New York Giants. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, new Commanders owner Josh Harris planned to use the entire 2023 season to evaluate what changes are needed within the organization. There is a chance that could change in Week 12.

The Commanders are a huge underdog for their Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys. Rapoport notes that teams have historically been more inclined to make coaching changes after embarrassing losses on national television. If Washington gets blown out by Dallas after the way they lost to the Giants last week, Harris could run out of patience with Rivera.

Another thing working against Rivera is that the Commanders have a bye in Week 13. Coaching changes often come during the bye week.

Rivera is in his fourth season with the team and has gone 26-34-1, though he won the division at 7-9 in his first season on the job. Washington is 4-8 this season. They have traded away some top defensive players already, which was a sign that they have given up on trying to contend for the time being.

There is another coach in Washington who may also have to worry about his job status.