Panthers schedule: Ron Rivera reunion comes too late in 2020
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers schedule sees them face former head coach Ron Rivera and the Washington Redskins in week 16, but the game might not mean all that much.
It almost seems like fate the Carolina Panthers schedule sees them come up against former head coach Ron Rivera and the Washington Redskins in 2020. They will go to head-to-head with their former coach on week 16 of the calendar, which is set to take place on December 27.
The game might something that brings an element of revenge for Rivera, who was fired after a 5-11 season in 2019. But in truth, the contest itself might not mean all that much given the particular stage of the season where it has landed on the Panthers schedule.
Both teams are going to suffer their fair share of struggles next term as they look to build a solid foundation towards being a contender down the line. Given the lack of optimism surrounding the two teams in 2020. The game has the potential to be something of a dead rubber relating to their overall fortunes.
Had the fixture landed more prominently on the Panthers schedule, it might have been a different story. There is an added fire during the early stages of the campaign that might not necessarily be there by the time they travel to Washington over the festive period.
That is not to say players will just merely down tools and look to keep themselves fresh for the challenges awaiting them in 2021. Veterans will be fighting for their places on the team and rookies will look to get the most out of whatever game time that comes their way to further aid experience and development.
Rivera himself will be looking to show the Panthers they made a mistake by letting him go, even though it was probably the wise decision that could eventually benefit both parties. That being said, every coach who gets the boot feels aggrieved and he is going to do his utmost to ensure that a victory against Carolina is the very least he has to show from his first season in charge of the Redskins.