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Ron Rivera’s rough record in red-flag replay reviews
Replay statistics through Week 8. Panthers coach Ron Rivera is 0 for 4 in challenges. He has some company at the bottom of the list.
Replay statistics through Week 8
Panthers coach Ron Rivera has earned a reputation — and a nickname, “Riverboat Ron” — for taking some gambles with his play selection. Although Rivera will likely argue that he assesses risk and reward when he does so, one place where he has not figured out the house edge is in the replay challenge system.
Rivera has only seen one reversal go his way in his last 11 tries spanning 25 games (including a playoff game in which he did not challenge any call). A nine-percent rate of return does not pay dividends. Rivera posted an incongruously perfect 2-for-2 record against the replay machine in 2012, but he has won only one challenge in the other 2½ seasons he has been with the Panthers.
For Rivera, the challenge flag is a sucker bet.
Through the eighth week of the season, the Falcons, Lions, and Patriots have not challenged a call. Tony Sparano also has not challenged a call since becoming the Raiders interim head coach. The list below does not include challenges that were not permitted, even if the team was charged a timeout. The replay officials’ total is listed for reference.
| Coach | Reversals | Challenges | Success % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike McCoy | SD | 2 | 2 | 1.000 |
| Marvin Lewis | CIN | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | |
| 3 | Doug Marrone | BUF | 3 | 4 | .750 |
| Chip Kelly | PHI | 3 | 4 | .750 | |
| 5 | Jason Garrett | DAL | 2 | 3 | .667 |
| Chuck Pagano | IND | 2 | 3 | .667 | |
| Dennis Allen†| OAK | 2 | 3 | .667 | |
| 8 | Bruce Arians | AZ | 2 | 4 | .500 |
| Marc Trestman | CHI | 1 | 2 | .500 | |
| Mike Pettine | CLE | 1 | 2 | .500 | |
| Sean Peyton | NO | 1 | 2 | .500 | |
| Tom Coughlin | NYG | 1 | 2 | .500 | |
| Jeff Fisher | STL | 1 | 2 | .500 | |
| — | Replay official | NFL | 43 | 116 | .371 |
| 14 | Bill O’Brien | HOU | 1 | 3 | .333 |
| Gus Bradley | JAX | 1 | 3 | .333 | |
| Rex Ryan | NYJ | 1 | 3 | .333 | |
| Mike Tomlin | PIT | 1 | 3 | .333 | |
| 18 | Andy Reid | KC | 1 | 4 | .250 |
| Jim Harbaugh | SF | 1 | 4 | .250 | |
| 20 | John Fox | DEN | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Joe Philbin | MIA | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| Mike Zimmer | MIN | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| Pete Carroll | SEA | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
| 24 | Mike McCarthy | GB | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Lovie Smith | TB | 0 | 2 | .000 | |
| 26 | John Harbaugh | BAL | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| Ken Whisenhunt | TEN | 0 | 3 | .000 | |
| 28 | Ron Rivera | CAR | 0 | 4 | .000 |
| 29 | Jay Gruden | WAS | 0 | 5 | .000 |
| — | Coach’s total | 28 | 77 | .364 |
(2013 final replay statistics)
Totals including the replay official: 71/193, .368
†No longer with team. Source: NFL game statistics, regular season only.
