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He couldn’t become a winning quarterback for the Washington Commanders, but Sam Howell knows why things went wrong during the 2023 NFL season. Speaking after the Commanders were beaten 38-10 by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18, Howell pinpointed a lack of “consistency” as the main problem for his 4-13 team.
The quarterback told reporters, “the consistency that we needed to be a winning football team wasn’t there.”
When asked to assess his own season, Howell admitted, “I’ve learned a lot, I’ve grown a lot as a player, as a person. After that, I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” per Zach Selby of Commanders.com.
It’s been an eventful year for Howell. He went from an unheralded signal-caller with one career start to full-time QB1 who briefly became the league’s most productive passer before bottoming out and landing on the bench, only to be given another chance thanks to injury.
Howell couldn’t take the reprieve he was granted by Jacoby Brissett’s hamstring problem. Instead, Howell’s performance against the Cowboys embodied the inconsistency he identified as the Commanders’ biggest problem.
Sam Howell, Commanders Were Typically Inconsistent vs. Cowboys
It was fitting how Howell resembled a different QB in each half against the Cowboys. He was accurate and economical with the ball during the opening two quarters, connecting with “nine different receivers,” per ESPN’s John Keim.
Sharing the wealth this much helped Howell throw a touchdown to running back Brian Robinson Jr. It also helped the Commanders keep the game relatively close.
They trailed by 4 with less than two minutes on the clock, but the wheels came off when Howell became turnover happy. He tossed this interception to safety Donovan Wilson, setting up a Cowboys score for CeeDee Lamb and a 21-10 lead.
Interceptions have been a problem, with Howell throwing “2 INTs in 3 straight games and at least one INT in the last 7 games,” according to JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports.
This many mistakes is why head coach Ron Rivera is likely out of a job. It’s also why Howell shouldn’t expect to be QB1 for the Commanders next season.
Ron Rivera Talks Sam Howell’s Commanders Future
Rivera’s days are all but numbered, with owner Josh Harris “expected to part ways” on Monday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The coach is ultimately paying the price because his gamble on Howell hasn’t paid off.
Howell has been unable to make the grade, despite the presence of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. Despite a creditable supporting cast including wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Jahan Doston and Curtis Samuel.
Howell’s regression, along with the Commanders owning the second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, cast doubts about his future. Rivera would only say, “I think the organization has to do what they believe is best for the organization. … They’ll make the best decision moving forward,” per Ben Standig of The Athletic.
That’s a typically neutral response from a coach who probably knows he won’t get to work with the next quarterback. Rivera will likely rue the missed opportunity because the Commanders can select the type of athletic playmaker he never had at the position during four years at the helm.
The draft’s top passers, USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina star Drake Maye and Washington sensation Michael Pennix Jr., are all in the Commanders’ sights. It appears inevitable one of those bright young passers will replace Howell this offseason.
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