What were some major observations from Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's performance at the New York Giants in Week 7?
After doing just enough to help the Washington Commanders get their 2023 campaign back on track at the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Sam Howell was aiming for his second NFC East win as the team's starting signal-caller in Week 7 at the New York Giants. This was a good opportunity for Ron Rivera's men to get another important victory considering how Brian Daboll's squad has struggled to replicate their postseason form last time out en route to a 1-5 start.
There have been a couple of rough outings for Howell, but the overall outlook is immensely encouraging. Once a few key areas are cleaned up by the Commanders' coaching staff and the former fifth-round selection gains additional experience, the sky's the limit.
This was another stiff test for Howell versus a stout defensive front despite the Giants' current complications. As it turned out, the Commanders once again flattered to deceive en route to yet another embarrassing loss.
With this in mind, here are four major observations from Howell's performance at MetLife Stadium.
Sam Howell's torrid first half
If the Washington Commanders offense was hoping to just steamroll a New York Giants team lacking confidence, it was clear from very early out that wasn't going to be the case. It was a torrid first half all around.
Wink Martindale's defense had its way, making life extremely uncomfortable for Sam Howell right out of the gate. This is a trend that continued throughout the opening two quarters.
These statistics spoke for themselves. And there was more than enough blame to go around.
- 35.71 percent completion
- 60 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 5 sacks against
- 11 rushing yards
- 19.9 passer rating (ESPN)
In truth, the Commanders were fortunate to only be 14 points down at the break. Howell's interception was ill-advised, but some errors were not of his own doing.
This leads us to our next point...
Sam Howell's protection issues
Sam Howell is getting sacked at a historic rate. Unfortunately, this didn't slow down at the New York Giants in Week 7.
In fact, it only increased.
There were one or two occasions when Howell held onto the football for too long. But most of the sacks conceded were on the offensive line this time around.
It's like the Washington Commanders hadn't watched one second of the game film about Wink Martindale's defense and how he likes to operate. The defensive coordinator also made no secret about the fact he was going to bring pressure consistently and try to make things difficult for the inexperienced Howell leading up to the clash.
Mission accomplished. And considering the Giants had five total sacks through their opening six games, this was a complete embarrassment.
Howell was sacked six times throughout the contest - five of which came in the first half. No quarterback could reach their full potential playing behind such inept protection, which is causing unnecessary hesitancy from the one-time North Carolina standout at an important stage of the season.
The signal-caller is not without blame, obviously. But such a porous offensive line points the finger squarely at Ron Rivera, who was seemingly thrilled with recruitment in this area of the field when most thought otherwise.
Unless something changes, it's hard to see Howell lasting a full 17-game regular season slate.
Sam Howell's third-down woes
It was a stuttering afternoon for the offense overall. A few nice moments emerged now and again, but they were fleeting thanks in no small part to the team's woes on third down.
Sam Howell and the entire Commanders offense just couldn't seem to sustain drives more often than not. Eric Bieniemy's play-calling and the offensive line had a lot to do with their failings, but Howell must also be held accountable for his lack of conviction in difficult circumstances.
As previously stated, it's hard to do anything behind a line this terrible. Howell wasn't put in many manageable situations, but making plays when the odds are stacked is what separates the elite quarterbacks from the also-rans.
It wasn't until the final play of the third quarter that Howell completed a third-down, which was a beautiful deep ball to wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The Commanders eventually finished with a 1-for-15 success rate, which simply isn't good enough.
Nobody is placing the blame squarely on Howell. But it's hard to look at this key statistic and not think the signal-caller should have done a better job of finding the right read, even if time in the pocket was a serious issue.
The game film will not make for pleasant viewing. And in a clash that was inexplicably decided by fine margins, not getting the job done on third down was a big difference-maker.
A tale of two halves Sam Howell
Looking at Sam Howell's full body of work in Week 7, it was a tale of two halves. In the first, he looked like a rabbit in the headlights, but there were notable improvements after the interval despite not coming out on the right end result-wise.
Howell recognized pre-snap reads a lot better versus Wink Martindale's exotic blitz schemes over the final two quarters. The signal-caller also got the football out quickly, put his escapability to good use, and threw it away when the situation dictated.
Had it not been for a Jahan Dotson drop on fourth down late when Howell somehow evaded the oncoming Isaiah Simmons, things might have been different. Instead, the Washington Commanders notched just seven points versus a depleted New York Giants team they should have beaten convincingly.
The second-year-pro finished with 249 passing yards, no touchdowns, and a 60.5 passer rating according to ESPN. It was far from perfect for Howell at a time when expectations are undoubtedly rising, but he can take some heart from the second half if nothing else once the dust settles.
Where the Commanders go from here is anyone's guess. Any hopes they had of securing a wildcard berth took a significant dent with this result and if it means those in positions of power are let go at some stage, it could also have ramifications on Washington's man under center.
And not in a good way.