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Ron Rivera led the Washington Football Team to one of the biggest comeback victories in week one on Sunday, as they stormed back from 17 points down to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17.

Not many people gave Washington a chance in the game with all the drama the 2020 offseason entailed. The team was forced to change its longstanding name, sexual harassment accusations ran wild within the organization, and Rivera himself was diagnosed with cancer. Despite all that, the Football Team is 1-0. But Rivera‘s comeback victory wasn’t the most impressive thing he did on Sunday.

Ron Rivera was diagnosed with cancer in August

As if the 2020 offseason wasn’t tumultuous enough for Washington, Rivera was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma in August, just a few weeks before the start of the season.

“Coach Ron Rivera was recently diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) located in a lymph node and detected from a self-care check. This cancer is in an early stage, and is considered very treatable and curable, providing a good prognosis for Coach Rivera for a full recovery,” The Washington Football Team said in a Twitter statement.

The prognosis seems encouraging, but any form of cancer will cripple the person diagnosed and the loved ones around them. For Rivera, that’s his football team almost as much as it is his family. There was no way he was missing his Washington debut on Sunday.

Rivera coached the Washington Football Team to a comeback victory on Sunday

The way the Rivera era started, it seemed as if it was going to be another long year for Washington fans. Washington went down 17-0 in a hurry, as the Eagles controlled both sides of the ball in the first half.

But a late second quarter interception turned the tides for the struggling bunch. The Football Team turned the interception into a touchdown to end the half, and they picked off Carson Wentz again to start the third quarter. After another touchdown off a turnover, Washington was right back in the game.

The Football Team went on to dominate the second half, especially on defense. Washington totaled eight sacks and three turnovers in the game, and it went on to win 27-17 to complete one of the biggest comeback victories of week one in the NFL.

Rivera was impressive in his Washington debut, but what he did at halftime might’ve been even more incredible than the win.

Rivera received an IV during halftime as he continues to battle cancer

Washington’s win surely made fans forget about the turmoil that has followed the team for months. For just one day, they forgot about Dan Snyder’s incompetence, the team name change, and Rivera’s recent diagnosis.

But Rivera is still battling cancer while on the sidelines. In order to finish the second half, the head coach got a planned IV in the locker room at halftime, and he returned to the field to lead his team to a win.

Rivera’s display of courage and heart proves he might be the toughest coach in the entire NFL this season. The other 31 can battle it out for second place. Rivera is a symbol of strength for his football team, and it translated to a week one victory.

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.