falling to the eventual NFC champion Seattle Seahawks the following week. The team's momentum would continue in 2015, as the Panthers produced their best season in franchise history by finishing 15–1, with their only loss being against the Atlanta Falcons on the road in Week 16. Rivera was recognized as the 2015 AP NFL Coach of the Year, his second such honor. The team held the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs, where they defeated the Seahawks in the divisional round and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game, advancing to Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos. It was the first Super Bowl in which both head coaches, Rivera and the Broncos' Gary Kubiak, had previously played in a Super Bowl. The Panthers lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos 24–10, in a game which both sides's defenses dominated. The Panthers struggled in 2016, finishing 6–10 and out of the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. They improved in 2017 and finished with an 11–5 record, entering the playoffs, but they lost in their first game. Rivera signed a two-year contract extension worth 15.5 million in January 2018. The Panthers finished 7–9 in the 2018 season, missing the playoffs. After a 5–7 start to the 2019 season, Rivera was fired on December 3, 2019 after nine seasons as head coach. Owner David Tepper, who bought the team in 2018, made the decision to move on from him as he wanted to build his own approach for the team. Rivera finished his career with the Panthers with four playoff appearances and a total record of 79–67–1, both of which rank first all-time in team history. Washington Football Team / Commanders On January 1, 2020, Rivera was hired to become the 30th head coach of the Washington Football Team, known as the Redskins at his time of hiring. At his introductory press conference, Rivera stated that he was convinced that the team was the right fit for him after having meetings with Washington owner Daniel Snyder and former head coach Joe Gibbs, which started almost immediately after he was fired from the Panthers. Rivera hired several former assistant coaches that worked under him with the Panthers, assigning Scott Turner, the son of Norv Turner, as offensive coordinator and former Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator. Rivera was also granted considerable authority