What were some major observations from Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18?
After a rollercoaster campaign for Sam Howell, the quarterback at least got the chance for one final starting chance in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys. What comes after that is less certain as Josh Harris' ownership group looks set to stamp their mark on the franchise through widespread changes.
That's out of Howell's hands. His focus centered on attempting to overcome a ferocious Dallas Cowboys defense capable of completely wrecking a game with early momentum. The former fifth-round pick experienced this once before during a Thanksgiving Day mauling earlier in the campaign. He didn't want to suffer a similar fate before embarking on a prolonged period of offseason rest.
As it turned out, Howell and the Commanders were unable to keep up with the juggernaut Cowboys en route to their 13th loss of the campaign. From the signal-caller's perspective, it was another up-and-down afternoon at the office.
With this in mind, here are four major observations from Howell's regular-season finale against the Cowboys at FedEx Field.
Sam Howell's composed start
Considering the pressure was off, it came as no surprise to see Sam Howell look composed over the opening exchanges. The quarterback was assured in the pocket. He took what the defense gave him. He managed to connect with his playmakers aside from the odd miss.
There are times when Howell makes jaw-dropping throws. There are times when the stupid mistakes leave fans shaking their head almost in disbelief. But the player demonstrated a level of comfort that's been seldom seen over the second half of 2023.
Eric Bieniemy helped matters with some long-awaited trickery to his play-calling. Just where this had been all season is anyone's guess, but keeping the Dallas Cowboys on their toes seemed to help Howell early on.
Sam Howell's rollercoaster first half
Sam Howell's first-half performance was a microcosm of how the season's gone for the quarterback. Some mesmerizing moments made you think the Washington Commanders might have their long-term player at the spot. These were matched by some suspect decisions and - you guessed it - another interception.
The pick completely shifted momentum in favor of the Dallas Cowboys. They are renowned for being opportunistic and punishing mistakes. This proved to be the case when they marched downfield quickly leading to a CeeDee Lamb score.
It was a rollercoaster first half for Howell. He was aggressive and looked to make things happen. A couple of glaring misses would have made things look even better. The North Carolina product even got himself a reception in the passing game from former college teammate Dyami Brown.
The stats reflected everything good and bad about Howell:
- 66.66 percent completion
- 109 passing yards
- 1 touchdown
- 1 interception
- 1 sack against
- 3 rushing yards
- 4 receiving yards (1 reception)
- 75.3 passer rating (ESPN)
The Commanders were down 21-10 at the break after having the lead briefly. The turnover completely sapped the life out of Washington. It's also been the story of Howell's season overall. Something that could lead the incoming regime to a new signal-caller when the time comes.
After all, dependability is everything when it comes to football's most important position.
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.
Sam Howell's time is (probably) up
With a heavy loss as expected, the Washington Commanders locked up the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. This almost certainly spells the end of Sam Howell's time as the team's starting quarterback.
A new regime will want to make a splash. This is also the perfect opportunity to build around a rookie contract given they'll be guaranteed to have a shot at someone like Drake Maye or perhaps even hometown hero Caleb Williams. Howell might stick around as the backup, but his QB1 tag will be gone.
Whether Howell got a fair evaluation this season given the circumstances is a moot point. There is no emotional attachment with a different coaching staff and front office. There are too many doubts surrounding the player's performance levels and the flaws evident at the season's start haven't progressed enough.
Howell's got a taste of being a starter now. If the Commanders end up taking a top-level prospect from the college ranks, could there be some value in entertaining trade offers if there is suitable interest? Perhaps, but this means Washington needs to spend to get another veteran understudy into the mix.
It wasn't an easy situation for Howell. He's been forced to take on huge responsibilities as Eric Bieniemy struggled to find the right balance schematically. He was also playing behind arguably the worst offensive line in football for good measure.
The effort was valiant from Howell's perspective. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to keep his starting job in 2024.