Getting off to a fast start is hugely important in the NFL, especially for a franchise trying to recover from mediocrity and build a winning culture. That’s exactly where Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera finds himself. To raise the stakes even higher, Rivera is trying to make a good early impression on new team owner Josh Harris.
That being said, BetVirgnia.com keeps our Virginia sports betting coverage focused on the upcoming NFL season. We took a look at how successful current coaches have been in the regular season’s opening month.
Best NFL Coaches in September
BetVirgnia.com, your home for Virginia sportsbook promotions, used data from Pro-Football-Reference.com to see which coaches get off to a hot start and have the best winning percentage in September games. Coaches must have at least three seasons as a head coach to qualify for this list.
Rivera Just Under .500 In September
Rivera, heading into his fourth season with Washington, has to be considered on the hot seat, but a good September might take the pressure off a bit. A poor start would only intensify speculation about Rivera’s future with the Commanders. In his three seasons with Washington, Rivera is 22-27-2 overall with one playoff berth.
Keep coming back to BetVirginia.com to track the Washington Commanders playoff chances all season.
Before his tenure with Washington, Rivera’s seven seasons (plus 12 games) as head coach with Carolina produced a 76-63-1 record with four postseason appearances, including one losing trip to the Super Bowl.
Throughout his head coaching career, Rivera’s teams have had sub-.500 Septembers. Rivera’s career September record is 18-21, or .462. which ranked 15th out of the 20 head coaches eligible to be included in our review.
Washington Commanders 2023 Prospects
With the 2023 season looming, Rivera and the Commanders catch what appears to be a break in Week 1. Washington is at home in its opener against Arizona, whose quarterback problems have handicappers predicting the Cardinals will have the worst record in the NFL.
But a win there might not move the needle on the Washington Commanders Super Bowl odds much because things get tougher after that. Washington goes on the road in Week 2 against Denver, then returns back home for a tough Week 3 matchup against Buffalo.
Regarding current coaches’ records in September, the top five active coaches were: Sean McVay, L.A. Rams, 16-4, .800; Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, 10-3, .769; Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski, 6-3, .667; Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, 33-17, .660, and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott, 13-7, .650.
The bottom five were: New Orleans’ Dennis Allen, 3-12, .200; Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, 5-9-1, .367; Carolina’s Frank Reich, 6-10-1, .382; Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles, 6-9, .400, and Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels, 4-5, .444.
The Commanders have odds between +6500 and +8000 at various VA sportsbook apps to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.
