4 major observations from Sam Howell's performance vs. the Dolphins in Week 13
By Dean Jones
Sam Howell's first half
It was once again a mixed bag for quarterback Sam Howell in the first half. The quarterback coughed up another pick-six - his third in as many games - but the gunslinger responded well in the face of adversity to conjure up flashes of real quality.
Howell was fighting a losing battle almost immediately. The Washington Commanders' defense just couldn't cope with the dynamic offense deployed by Mike McDaniel, which put the game out of sight by halftime and saw Ron Rivera's unit give up countless big plays along the way.
There was a lot to like about some throws from Howell. His blossoming connection with wide receiver Curtis Samuel continued and the signal-caller also went in for another rushing touchdown for the third consecutive contest.
An indifferent first half for Howell was reflected in the statistics. Being down 31-7 didn't exactly help, either.
- 46.66 percent completion (7/15)
- 71 passing yards
- 0 passing touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 3 sacks against
- 8 rushing yards (1 TD)
- 32.9 passer rating (ESPN)
One solace for the Commanders was things couldn't get much worse. Howell did the best he could, but this seemed like an obvious mismatch before the game and unfortunately turned out to be exactly that.