ASHBURN — Ron Rivera’s defenses tend to thrive on pressure generated up the middle. Last season, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne created havoc from the interior for Washington. In Carolina, the coach’s last stop, Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short set the tone for an intimidating Panthers front.
Even as a defensive coordinator, Rivera utilized big, thumping defensive tackles like Chicago’s Tommie Harris to collapse pockets and take down quarterbacks.
That said, the Commanders coach knows, for this upcoming season, his edge rushers need to start pulling their weight.
“We’ve gotta be able to clean it up from the outside,” Rivera said.