What were some major observations from Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's performance in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears?
After a sensational performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4, quarterback Sam Howell got an opportunity to formally introduce himself on the national stage. The Washington Commanders welcomed the Chicago Bears in front of another sold-out crowd at FedEx Field on Thursday Night Football, which was seen as a get-right game for many versus a winless organization seemingly going nowhere fast.
Nothing is given in the NFL. Howell knows this better than anybody after biding his time last season and earning the respect of his teammates en route to securing the No. 1 quarterback spot throughout the preparation period.
All eyes were on Howell to see if the former fifth-round selection could build on a positive start to his campaign overall. As it turned out, the quarterback couldn't work miracles as another torrid start led to the Commanders falling to a shock reverse on home soil.
With this in mind, here are four major observations from Howell's performance against the Bears in Week 5.
Commanders defense put Sam Howell in a hole
This was not the start anybody had in mind after such a positive display in Week 4. The Washington Commanders' defense was absolutely torched in the first quarter, with Chicago Bears wide receiver and former Ron Rivera draft pick D.J. Moore doing the majority of damage as the home team got themselves in a hole early.
After two stalled drives, the Commanders and Sam Howell had a mountain to climb. Starting slow is nothing new for Washington on home soil, but it piled additional pressure on their young signal-caller to produce in the hope of getting them back into the contest.
Not exactly ideal. But the failings that have blighted this defense in 2023 to date came back to haunt them once again.
Sam Howell's rough first half
Even though Sam Howell was on the back foot right out of the gate, it came as a surprise to see the quarterback go through some complications over a rough first half. The signal-caller was taking what the Chicago Bears defense gave him en route to some nice early gains, but a deep ball to Dyami Brown fell agonizingly short and seemed to sap the Washington Commanders of any slight momentum they managed to generate.
Washington's offensive line was getting bullied at the line of scrimmage. This made it more difficult for Howell, but the former fifth-round selection won't want to watch the interception that came just before the two-minute warning again.
Howell cannot make mistakes like that, especially in the situation Washington found itself at the time. The Bears managed to score again, giving them an unbelievable 27-3 lead at the half-time interval.
The statistics don't usually tell the whole story. However, in this case, it was pretty much on the money for Howell and the Commanders, who weren't at the races whatsoever.
- 69 percent completion
- 71 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 1 sack against
- 3 rushing yards
- 50.5 passer rating (ESPN)
One solace for the Commanders is that things couldn't get much worse. But this was not a good look for anyone involved - Howell included - on primetime with Josh Harris and Magic Johnson watching intently.
Sam Howell's up-tempo comfort
Given the deficit facing the Washington Commanders, they needed to put points on the board quickly. This led to an increase in tempo on offense, which quarterback Sam Howell looked pretty comfortable in all things considered.
The Chicago Bears opted for a bend-don't-break defensive scheme, which worked in Howell's favor. But his poise in the pocket, decision-making, and athleticism to evade pressure when it arrived were all reasons for encouragement after the break.
Huge gains were hard to come by versus a Chicago secondary that seemed happy to give up completions underneath holding such a big advantage. But that was fine with Howell, who got the required yards and kept things ticking over quickly.
This was especially evident during the drive to open the third quarter. Howell took them straight down the field before finding Logan Thomas in the end-zone, which is a testament to the North Carolina product's growing confidence in what was his sixth career NFL start.
Howell finds the holes through sound progressions effectively. He also made his red-zone opportunities count, which is exactly what the Commanders needed after such a lackluster first half that saw boos ring out from among the sold-out audience at FedEx Field.
Going so pass-heavy was a needs-must situation and is unlikely to happen again given Eric Bieniemy's preference for a more balanced attack. But the coaching staff can relax safe in the knowledge Howell can manipulate the defense with supreme efficiency if this scenario comes up again.
Sam Howell is not the problem
Looking at how things unfolded throughout the game, the Washington Commanders have far bigger problems than Sam Howell. In fact, the quarterback is the least of their worries.
Howell put together an outstanding second half, even if it wasn't quite enough to conjure a stunning fightback. Had Joey Slye made his field goal with a little under five minutes remaining, things might have been different, but the signal-caller can take heart from another solid display - even if the end result didn't go Wasington's way.
The Commanders are being let down by factors way outside of Howell's control.
His performances can only do so much when the defense is giving up more than 30 points a game consistently. The offensive line just isn't up to the required standard, keeping up their league-leading sack rate against a Chicago Bears team that couldn't generate any sort of pressure over their first four games.
Still, there was far more good than bad where Howell was concerned. He'll hold himself accountable - especially for the costly interception in the first half - but the overall product was good and something the signal-caller can build on moving forward.
If other areas could live up to their lofty reputations, the Commanders wouldn't be on a three-game losing skid. Ron Rivera and his staff have an important mini-bye week coming up, so it's vital the correct adjustments are made to give Howell a fighting chance.
Because make no mistake, he has the tools.