What were some major observations from Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3?
After masterminding a sensational comeback victory at the Denver Broncos, another stiff test awaited Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell in Week 3. The Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen descended on a sold-out FedEx Field for an intriguing matchup between two in-form teams, which was a solid measuring stick for the former fifth-round selection against one of the league's best at the position.
Momentum seems to be building around Howell right out of the gate. He's making tough throws downfield look easy and Eric Bieniemy is scheming things up superbly for his gunslinger specific to the situation for good measure.
This was a big challenge looking at the standard of opposition. As it turned out, Howell wasn't able to keep the magic going as Washington were beaten for the first time this season against a strong Buffalo outfit.
With that being said, here are four major observations from Howell's performance against the Bills in Week 3.
Sam Howell's early hesitancy
While Sam Howell had some quality moments early in the game, one fatal flaw continues to hold him back. There is some real hesitancy when his first or second reads aren't available, which leads to holding the football for too long and inviting pressure.
This was evident on all three sacks in the first quarter. One could make a strong case for Howell being responsible for each takedown thanks to his reluctance to pull the trigger or simply throw the football away - something that needs to be brushed up at the earliest possible opportunity.
Howell can rid himself of this complication with more experience, one suspects. But this was another harsh lesson during the opening exchanges.
Sam Howell's rough first half
Sam Howell had a significant amount of momentum heading into this game. However, it didn't take long to figure out that the previous two defenses he's faced this season had nothing on the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills made life extremely difficult for Howell during a frustrating first half littered with errors. Aside from a nice run and deep pass in stride to Curtis Samuel, the quarterback and the Washington Commanders couldn't get anything going - something that put them in a 16-0 hole heading into the break.
There are times when Howell looks like a world-beater. Others he looks like a rookie, which one could argue is exactly what he is after a predominantly red-shirt campaign in 2022.
It wasn't just the bad statistics that caused concern. Howell looked flustered under pressure, made two critical errors that led to interceptions, and just looked like a rabbit in the headlights against a Bills defense that smelled blood almost from the outset.
The first-half stats? They spoke for themselves.
- 61.53% completion
- 96 passing yards
- 0 TDs
- 2 INTs
- 18 rushing yards
- 3 sacks against
- 44.6 passer rating (ESPN)
If there was one solace for Howell and Commanders, it's that they've already come back from a big deficit. Even if this scenario didn't have the same vibes attached.
Sam Howell's costly errors
If anyone was hoping that the half-time interval would provide the adjustments needed for another fightback, they were sorely out of luck. Things went from bad to worse for Sam Howell, who made some costly errors behind a porous offensive line during the worst performance of his professional career by a considerable margin.
We mentioned last week that this isn't North Carolina anymore. Every mistake is likely to get punished at the NFL level, which Howell once again found out to his cost with four interceptions - one of which went for a pick-six to further compound the player's misery.
There was little to no help from elsewhere. The offensive line was an absolute abomination - right tackle Andrew Wylie, in particular. And just when it looked like the Washington Commanders might be putting a drive together, running back Antonio Gibson's fumbling issues continued.
While it cannot all be put on Howell, the quarterback carries the can more often than not. His poor throw to Curtis Samuel in the red zone when he should have gotten off the read represents a microcosm of suspect choices when the pocket collapsed - so there is much work ahead for the player and the Commanders heading into a tough test at the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend.
It was like a bubble had burst at FedEx Field aside from the Bills Mafia in attendance. Josh Allen's mercurial showing only highlighted Howell's failings when going up against elite-level opposition.
Humbling experience for Sam Howell
It would have been easy for Sam Howell to get carried away after hearing all the hype surrounding his start to the season. This outing from the quarterback was a reality check in no uncertain terms.
Of course, this rings true for not only Howell but the Washington Commanders overall. Many wondered if this was the start of something special brewing for the franchise under new ownership, but everything came crashing back down to earth and Ron Rivera is now fully aware of how far behind the contending teams they are.
This was a bad day at the office all around. What is important for Howell is brushing it off as such and not dwelling too much on the numerous mistakes made heading into Sunday's crunch divisional showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Nobody was expecting perfection or anything close from Howell at this stage of his development. Was it disappointing? Sure - but there is enough talent to suggest the North Carolina product can bounce back and become more efficient in one of the most unwelcoming environments imaginable.
Expectations will diminish as a result of this home thumping for the Commanders. In a weird way, it might actually work in their favor, but only if Howell takes on board some harsh lessons and learns from them moving forward.
Otherwise, it's going to be a long season with tougher opponents on the way.