4 major observations from Sam Howell's performance at the NY Giants in Week 7

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.