Ron Rivera knows a thing or two about coaching great quarterbacks.

It wasn’t too long ago that the former two-time Coach of the Year award winner coached former NFL MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2015 season. During Rivera’s nine-year tenure with the Panthers, he was named Coach of the Year twice (2013 and 2015).

A look at the present shows that another dual-threat quarterback, Jayden Daniels, rookie of the Washington Commanders, is taking the league by storm. Heading into Week 15, Daniels had led the Commanders to an 8-5 record – in prime position for a playoff appearance – and is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Rivera, who last coached the Commanders in the 2023 season, explains that Washington has become one of the NFL’s biggest surprises after a 4-13 season.

“The most important thing is that it’s a quarterback-driven league,” Rivera said. “They brought in perhaps the best rookie quarterback this year in Jayden Daniels. He came in, he was trained very well.”

The Commander ranks fourth in the NFL in offense with 28.9 points per game, led by Daniels’ electric play. The 23-year-old quarterback has scored a combined 21 touchdowns and thrown just six interceptions while posting a 99.4 passer rating, a 69.6% completion rate and 7.8 yards per pass attempt. He leads all rookies across the board in the aforementioned passing stats.

Not to mention his robust 5.5 yards per rushing attempt and 590 rushing yards. His 5.5 yards per rush attempt ranks fifth in the NFL.

Rivera makes sure to acknowledge first-year offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who previously served as head coach for the Arizona Cardinals while leading Kyler Murray and as lead offensive analyst for the USC Trojans while Caleb Williams was there.

“You have to give a lot of credit to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury,” Rivera said. “He did a great job with that, some of the veterans that were there when they got there and some of the veterans that they brought in in free agency. This team has really come together. They were very, very competitive. They will likely be one of the Wild Card teams unless something crazy happens in the next few weeks. But it’s been really nice to watch their growth and development and I think Dan Quinn deserves a lot of credit.”

Rivera explains that it was difficult for the Commanders to achieve consistent success during his four seasons with the team because a franchise quarterback could not be found. Washington had Alex Smith at the end of his career before going through a series of mediocre starters in Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell.

The Commanders finished with just one playoff appearance, posting a 26-40-1 record (.396 winning percentage) during his tenure there.

“We were trying to find a quarterback,” Rivera said. “It’s really hard to find this guy. If you don’t play consistently in that position, you’re going to struggle for the most part.”

Even though Rivera struggled during his tenure with the Commanders, that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the best and most respected coaches during his 13 seasons as a head coach in the NFL.

One of the main things that has shaped Rivera’s success and style as a head coach is his military upbringing, as he is the son of a United States Army Warrant Officer. Before Navy’s 31-13 loss to No. 22 Army, Rivera talked about his partnership with USAA – the Armed Forces Game sponsor – and why giving back to our military members is important to him.

“I grew up in a military family,” Rivera explains. “I inherited USAA membership from my father. My father started as a member in 1965 and I became a member in 1986. A big part of growing up in a military family is learning to give back to the soldiers who support our country and do things that most of us don’t do.”

Rivera said his father served in the U.S. Army for 32 years and that the family moved to several places, including abroad, during his childhood before finally settling in Fort Ord, California. Rivera still uses the “discipline” and “accountability” taught in the Army to this day.

“We began to understand what Army life was like on base and saw how teamwork really shines through in the military,” Rivera says. “It was probably one of the great experiences and lessons I learned. Always draw on the discipline, cooperation, organization and responsibility that military bases instill with these units. For me personally it was a great learning experience.”

Army and Navy played their 125th game against each other on Saturday and Rivera explains why it’s such a great rivalry and why it should be on college football fans’ radar every year.

“This game is about pride and showing off,” Rivera said. “This is about showing who the superior team is. It’s about the Commander’s Cup, in which all military academies play against each other. The one who has the best record among themselves will be the one who wins the cup in the end. That is also at stake. This game means a lot to the student body and it’s a big deal to any true football fan.”