Washington’s revival is being driven by the energy of its young players, Ron Rivera says

Gettleman obliged. Starting in ­mid-November, the Panthers waived wide receiver Jason Avant, benched right tackle Nate Chandler in favor of Mike Remmers and cut cornerback Antoine Cason and safety Thomas DeCoud to clear spots for rookies Bené Benwikere and Tre Boston.

The Panthers won their final four games that season to make the playoffs as champions of the NFC South. The next year, the Panthers boasted the league’s top-ranked scoring offense, went 15-1 and earned a trip to Super Bowl 50.

“We just kept falling back and playing some of those veteran guys that really weren’t going to be part of what we were doing going forward,” Rivera, now the coach of the Washington Football Team, recounted Monday morning during a virtual news conference. “Once we [made changes] … we played those guys, and their energy levels just rose everybody else’s.

“That’s what we’re seeing here. I think we’re feeding off of the energy level of our young players. I think it’s helping the veteran guys to play with energy. I think that’s been one of the big things that’s helped us.”

The parallels between Washington and those 2014 Panthers are distinct, largely because of their coach and the possibility of similar endings. But they’re also connected by the early success of their young players.

Rivera was sharply criticized for cutting Washington’s leading rusher, Adrian Peterson, before the season when he had a group of unproven running backs. Few are questioning the decision now, even as breakout rookie Antonio Gibson nurses a toe injury.

The team’s all-time sack leader, Ryan Kerrigan, was pushed out of a starting role — although he remains a key part of the defensive line’s rotation — to clear the way for rookie Chase Young and second-year pass rusher Montez Sweat to work in tandem at defensive end.

Other moves that have resulted in more playing time for Washington’s younger core have come by way of injury, such as at wide receiver, which created an opportunity for third-year wideout Cam Sims and undrafted rookie Isaiah Wright; and at safety, where a season-ending Achilles’ injury to Landon Collins forced seventh-round rookie Kam Curl onto the field as a starter.

On Sunday in Arizona, where Washington defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 23-15, to move into sole possession of first place in the NFC East, Young dominated with a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery for a touchdown and two batted passes. Young has fueled Washington’s four-game winning streak with his play and his demeanor. Before games, he has typically been the team’s hype man in the huddle after warmups. In between plays, he is huffing and hollering to fire up his teammates. Even in between series, he is running up and down the sideline to get his team going.

“Oh, he’s a dog,” third-year defensive tackle Daron Payne said Sunday. “Our whole defensive line is straight dogs. Him pumping up … the team, really, because he’ll go up and down the sidelines doing it, I feel like that helps us. It helps keeps guys’ heads in the game.”

The arrival of Young this year has benefited Washington’s bevy of first-round picks on its defensive line, none more so than Sweat, who leads the team with seven sacks. Young’s presence on the edge has drawn double teams and even triple teams from offensive linemen, freeing up one-on-one opportunities for Sweat, who has the frame of a power forward (6-foot-6, 262 pounds) and the speed of a running back (4.41-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine).

Young and Sweat are two of only three players, along with Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, to have at least five sacks, two forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown this season.

Washington also has two of the only three NFL rookies, along with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, who have at least two sacks and a defensive touchdown. Young is one, and he has the star power. But Curl has emerged as a draft steal, a potentially key piece of Washington’s future.

Once used primarily as a reserve and in sub packages, Curl has started the past eight games and is now second on the team in tackles (69). His 76-yard interception return for a touchdown Sunday was the fourth longest in the NFL this season.

“Right now, to sit here and be like: ‘This is our character’ — I don’t know if we have that right now. I really don’t,” Rivera said Monday. “I do know that there’s a lot of energy that we got from the defense yesterday. To sit here and say we’re a defensive team would not be fair because of the talent we have on the offensive side.”

Rivera cited second-year wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards Sunday only 13 games into the season. But Washington has also benefited from the production of Sims, who Rivera said has a shot at becoming the team’s long-term No. 2 receiver.

“If he does it consistently, most certainly,” Rivera said Saturday. “The young man has done nothing but get better this year and improve and improve. He works at his game.”

But as Washington enters the final stretch of the regular season with an eye on the playoffs, the presence of key veterans will be critical, too. Quarterback Alex Smith, who was sidelined for the second half against the 49ers because of a calf strain, is uncertain for this week as Washington prepares to host the Seattle Seahawks. As the team monitors Smith’s progress, Dwayne Haskins will have to be prepared to start.

But even the unknown of the most important position on the field couldn’t damper Rivera’s excitement about the team’s progress. Washington’s youth, once viewed as a liability, is now its biggest asset — just as he expected it would be.

“We’ve got a group of young guys right now that are playing. We’ve got a sprinkling of vets,” Rivera said. “Who knows what happens in the next couple years when it comes to adding guys, when it comes to the draft and free agency? So we’ve got a way to go before we start talking about that realistically. This could be one of the springboards going forward, hopefully. We’ve got three games left. We’ve got to focus on getting ready for Seattle more so than anything else.”

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