Ron Rivera - 'I put my foot in my mouth' with Eric Bieniemy comments - ESPN

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said he «put my foot in my mouth» when discussing Eric Bieniemy's intensity, insisting he did not want to portray his players as soft or the first-year offensive coordinator as too demanding.

Rivera said he told Bieniemy on Tuesday that what he said «wasn't as clear as it needed to be.»

Rivera said Tuesday that some players were concerned with Bieniemy's coaching style, so he encouraged them to speak directly with their new coordinator. Rivera said players came away «enlightened» after talking to Bieniemy.

«I hired Eric and I loved his overall message to the team his first day — that we have to learn to be comfortable when you're uncomfortable,» Rivera said Wednesday. «With guys on that side of the ball, they were uncomfortable. There's been a lot of change, and the entire way of doing things has changed on the offensive side. Change is hard.

»Since those conversations took place with Eric and the players, I've seen the improvements. The last couple practices have probably been the best of training camp. That displays how the team has embraced the message and how he does things and how he wants things done."

The Commanders hired Bieniemy to replace Scott Turner this past offseason, hoping the longtime Kansas City Chiefs assistant would inject life into an offense that did not rank higher than 20th in the NFL in scoring or yards per game since 2017.

Bieniemy's intensity can be seen and heard daily on the practice field and, according to multiple sources, in the meeting rooms. His voice can be heard from a distance on the field, though he's as quick to praise as he is to admonish.

Rivera noted Wednesday that he did not mean to label his players as «soft» by pointing out