4 major observations from Sam Howell's performance vs. the Cowboys in Week 18
By Dean Jones
Sam Howell's flashes are not enough
Sam Howell once again flashed moments of promise versus one of the league's most dominant defenses. That's all well and good, but it's not enough at this late stage of the campaign.
There needs to be more consistency. There needs to be more conviction. Howell has the tools, but there is just something missing - especially when it comes to making the right decisions in key moments.
Howell missed Terry McLaurin deep on two occasions that would have easily got the wide receiver to the 1,000-yard receiving milestone. One was underthrown. The other had no velocity whatsoever and was intercepted by DaRon Bland.
It's almost like Howell takes one positive step forward and two steps back almost immediately. That sort of erratic production is the definition of a feast-or-famine presence. Very few contending teams get away with it. Couple this with the notable regression over the second half of the campaign, and it's not hard to envisage the Commanders going in a different direction.
Flashing only gets you so far. There will come a time when substance over a prolonged period is more important. Based on what we've witnessed from Howell over a full campaign, it seems as if some hard work is ahead before these flashes of brilliance evolve into something more.