FIRED :The Commanders fired a former Vikings Pro Bowl defense.
Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jack Del Rio was fired as the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator on Friday.
Before beginning his coaching career in the NFL, Jack Del Rio was a linebacker in the league for 11 years, including four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
Del Rio’s playing career was filled with ups and downs, and the same can be said for his coaching career, with the most recent noteworthy event occurring on Friday when he was fired as the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator.
The Commanders defeated 45-10 to the Dallas Cowboys in his final game as head coach, with the defense accounting for 38 of the 45 points. Following Thursday’s game, the Commanders now have the lowest point total in the NFL this season.
The Washington Commanders defense under former Minnesota Vikings linebacker has fallen short of expectations.
Washington’s defense was one of the team’s strengths under Del Rio in 2022, ranking sixth in the NFL in points allowed per drive and third in total yards allowed.
This season, however, things went sideways for Del Rio and the Commanders’ defense, particularly when it came to preventing the rival offense’s passing threat.
Following the loss to the Cowboys on Thursday, Washington now ranks worst in the NFL in passing touchdowns allowed and 31st in yards allowed per pass attempt.
The Commanders currently have a 4-8 record, and head coach Ron Rivera plainly believed that moving on from Del Rio was a necessary option after Thursday’s 35-point setback in Dallas.
Del Rio played the final four seasons of his NFL career with the Vikings, including the 1994 season when he was named to the Pro Bowl after recording 129 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
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