4 major observations from Sam Howell's performance at the NY Jets in Week 16
By Dean Jones
Sam Howell's disastrous first half
We spoke throughout the week about the strength of the New York Jets' pass defense. This is an exceptional unit with playmakers everywhere you look. Couple this with a stout defensive front going up against a woeful Washington Commanders offensive line missing two starters, it wasn't hard to see where the problems could arise.
The offense was nothing short of woeful in the first half. Washington was inept in all three phases. Sam Howell's opening two quarters can be best described as a catastrophe.
He was running for his life on almost every drop back. There was no consistent separation being generated by his wide receivers. Howell's timing was often off. He looked more rattled than almost at any stage during the season.
Unfortunately for Howell and the Commanders, this was reflected in the statistics. A glaring indication of how disjointed everything appeared from a team that has officially downed tools for their head coach Ron Rivera.
- 29.41% completion
- 51 passing yards
- 0 TDs
- 1 INT
- 1 sack against
- 15.1 passer rating (ESPN)
Things couldn't have gotten much worse for Howell. But with the leash getting shorter after last week's benching, attention turned to whether he'd survive another sit-down in the second half.