“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season that recalls the previous game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

Kansas City 31, Washington 13: Week 6, Oct. 17, 2021

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in the second half as the Kansas City Chiefs ran away from the Washington Football Team 31-13 at then-FedEx Field in Landover, MD.

Some will recall that, leading 13-10 in the third quarter, Washington reached the Kansas City 20-yard line. After a four-yard loss, Dustin Hopkins missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, which would have extended Washington’s lead to 16-10. The Chiefs then proceeded to outscore Washington 21-0 the rest of the way, running away from the home team for a 31-13 victory.

So, what was Ron Rivera’s response? In Rivera’s first season, Washington had finished 7-9. Now, six weeks into the 2021 season, Washington was again struggling at 2-4. Wanting to shake things up for the Commanders, Rivera was determined to cut the veteran Hopkins, who had kicked for Washington since 2015.

Rivera revealed he actually was not adequately prepared as a GM to make such a move by what he did next. GM Rivera made the oddest move of his entire tenure as Washington’s GM/HC (2020-2023). Rivera, instead of choosing one of several kickers with NFL experience available each season, decided not to sign any of them. He could have then, for a second option, chosen one of the kickers on a practice squad on an NFL roster. Again, Rivera decided not to go that route. He instead selected and signed kicker Chris Blewitt. Blewitt was a shocking signing because Blewitt had not experienced any professional success.

Rivera had chosen Blewitt despite the fact that Blewitt had not been signed by the CFL Toronto Argonauts, NFL Steelers, Cowboys, and Bears. He had worked at Home Depot and was at UPS when he got the ball. Some wondered if Blewitt had been signed because he was a local, living in Alexandria, VA. Would Rivera actually stoop to sign a guy to an NFL team for such a reason?

No offense toward Blewitt whatsoever. The local NFL team called him, signed him, what was he supposed to do? Not seize the opportunity to see if it worked out for him? No, this was all on Rivera, who should have known there were many better options out there for him.

We won’t belabor what transpired. But Rivera’s signing of Blewitt was a comedic blunder. Blewitt made only two of his five field-goal attempts, and all three of his misses were blocked. Blewitt was released, and the Commanders signed Joey Slye.

All that drama because Rivera wanted to make Hopkins a scapegoat to shake up his team and get them turned around, but it didn’t happen. Meanwhile, Hopkins kicked another three seasons in his NFL career. Rivera’s Washington team finished 7-10 in 2021. In his four seasons in Washington, Rivera never produced a winning record, and each of his first-round draft choices were extremely big misses.