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Void
Ron RiveraRon Rivera

John Madden's advice to ignore 'the book' and trust coaching instincts on fourth down changed my career.

I said to him, I was going by the book. [Madden] said, 'What book?' He said, 'Ron, you know enough football, you've done enough football to do these things. You know when's the right time to do it. Nobody else does.' I realized I was doing what was safe. What was acceptable. Because back then nobody went for it on fourth. From that point on, that's the way I looked at things.

This is a personal professional philosophy and historical anecdote from Ron Rivera.

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Win
Nov 8, 2024
#9169
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Bengals are one of the best teams in the AFC but will probably miss the playoffs

I'm walking away from this Bengals game and I'm thinking the Bengals are one of the best teams in the AFC. And they're probably not gonna make the playoffs.

The Bengals fell to 4-7 following another close loss in Week 11, making their playoff path nearly impossible.
Win
Nov 8, 2024
#9170
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Justin Tucker is officially washed

Lamar finds a way there. Justin Tucker. Wash this. It feels like the Ravens might be destined to get into a close playoff game... and to get out kicked. I hope that's not the case, but there's something up with Justin Tucker.

Tucker has struggled significantly in 2024, posting the worst field goal percentage of his career and missing multiple high-leverage kicks.
Loss
Nov 8, 2024
#24892
Big CatBig Cat

I am never going to give up on Joe Burrow and I think the Bengals will still make the playoffs.

I'm never gonna give up on the Bengals. I don't know. It's a sickness at this point. I'm not gonna give up on Joe Burrow... I think they might be able to do it. If they can beat the [Los Angeles] Chargers, I think they can do it. It's crazy to say, but I think they might be able to do it.

The Bengals fell to 4-7 after losing to the Chargers on November 17th, making their playoff chances extremely slim.

More from Ron Rivera

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Void
Ron RiveraRon Rivera

Analytics are flawed because they cannot account for the emotional impact of momentum on a football game.

There are some aspects of the game people don't believe in. It's crazy because people that truly believe in numbers, pure analytics, do not believe in momentum. They don't believe in the emotional part of the game. There's an emotion that goes throughout a player's body... this is not measurable. People that truly believe in the numbers don't understand how you can sit there and say, well, momentum has taken over.

Whether momentum is a 'measurable' fact or a psychological effect is an eternal debate in sports science, making this subjective.
Void
Ron RiveraRon Rivera

The NFL is entirely a quarterback-driven league

I was asked in a press conference a couple years ago... what's the big difference between you guys and the other three teams in your division? My answer was quarterback... I asked the same question the other day to a group of people. What's the difference between Washington right now and Washington I had? Well, they got quarterback. It's a quarterback driven league, folks.

Generally accepted as the foundational truth of the modern NFL.
Win
Ron RiveraRon Rivera

Christian McCaffrey is the ultimate professional because of his meticulous pre- and post-practice recovery routine.

[Christian McCaffrey] got out early, he warmed up before practice. He got done, he warmed down after practice. He went in, he took care of his body. He got in the ice tub, he got in a hot tub. He did all the extra stuff that you're supposed to do... he was that mature when he showed up [as a rookie]. He really is one of my favorite guys, just because of who he was and the way he did things.

McCaffrey's reputation as a workout and recovery warrior is well-documented throughout the NFL.

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