What were some major observations from Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's performance against the New England Patriots?
According to a recent report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic, there is a growing belief within the Washington Commanders that Sam Howell is their franchise quarterback long-term. This didn't just come from the coaching staff - it's also supposedly a sentiment shared by Josh Harris and members of his ownership group.
High praise, indeed.
Howell's next challenge was a steep one. While the New England Patriots are struggling once again in 2023, head coach Bill Belichick is renowned for his defensive prowess and ability to neutralize the opposition's best threat, so the former fifth-round pick had some big-time hurdles to overcome on the road.
As it turned out, Howell and the Commanders did just enough to come away with a morale-boosting victory. One that could propel them to better fortunes over the second half of 2023.
With this in mind, here are four major observations from Howell's performance at Gillette Stadium in Week 9.
Sam Howell's scrambling
The growth in Sam Howell has been evident across multiple areas. None more so than when it comes to scrambling out of the pocket.
There was a time earlier in the campaign when Howell would just take off and run, which put his decent athleticism to good use if nothing else. Now, the signal-caller is keeping his eyes downfield and is always looking to throw if the right opportunity presents itself.
If it's not there, then Howell will run or throw it away. This might seem small, but it's contributing significantly to the former North Carolina star's improved efficiency, and long may it continue.
Sam Howell's first-half regret
Looking at Sam Howell's overall body of work in the first half, it was largely encouraging. The initial momentum shift didn't come by his hand, but there was one regrettable, ill-advised decision to ensure the Washington Commanders trailed at the interval.
With the Commanders looking to take the lead with a huge red-zone opportunity late, Howell had a mad moment and attempted to throw into the tightest of windows as three New England Patriots defenders surrounded wide receiver Jahan Dotson. This was inevitably intercepted by safety Kyle Dugger and another example where the promising signal-caller got a little greedy.
Besides this error in judgment, it wasn't too bad from a statistical standpoint. And these numbers would have looked a lot better had Howell not been let down by some critical drops.
- 67.85 percent completion (19/28)
- 176 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 1 sack against
- 27 rushing yards
- 69.9 passer rating (ESPN)
The Commanders are taking the rough with the smooth with Howell as part of his ongoing development. Some mistakes will happen, even if they might end up costing the team in fine-margin situations.
That's life with an inexperienced quarterback learning by doing. But aside from his giveaway, Howell's poise and decision-making over the opening two quarters was commendable.
Sam Howell's X-factor qualities
There's just something about Sam Howell. You cannot take your eyes off him when he's on the field, with his ability to conjure up magic from the pocket or on the move nothing short of mesmerizing at times.
Howell does some things that cannot be taught. His arm is live and the decision-making is improving aside from the odd blip, so it's not hard to see why some within the Washington Commanders are high on the player's long-term aspirations.
Nothing seems to rattle Howell. Even when he was on course to be the league's most sacked quarterback of all time, he never deviated from his goal and has the unique ability to move on from one play to the next without looking back with regret or a sense of accomplishment.
Other areas such as pocket manipulation, field awareness, and offensive line improvements are all leading to Howell catching the eye. Simply put, the gunslinger is starting to display X-factor qualities that all the top-level performers under center possess around the league.
Howell might not be the most flamboyant quarterback that's ever stepped onto the field, but there's more than one way to make a franchise get behind your talent. Something the Commanders are finding out with more frequency than any other Washington signal-caller in recent memory.
Sam Howell
Sam Howell's put together some tremendous performances this season. Unfortunately for the quarterback and the Washington Commanders, they haven't always come with a win.
That all changed in Week 9.
It wasn't perfect and the Commanders made things more difficult than needed, but Howell and his team did just enough. Something that moves them to 4-5 and relieves a little pressure from those in positions of power along the way.
This needed a collective effort to get the job done. Had it not been for Howell's accomplished distribution and ability to come through in key situations, the Commanders come out on the wrong end of this one.
Another 300-yard passing performance was one more feather in Howell's cap. Josh Harris was in attendance at Gillette Stadium to witness the victory and if reports are accurate about his belief in the signal-caller, this will have done nothing to change his mind.
There were some drives and throws Howell would like to have back. But show me a quarterback that plays flawless football for all four quarters and I'll show you a liar.
Coming away victorious was of critical importance for the Commanders given how much pressure was building behind the scenes. But regardless of which way the result went, Howell's claims to be this team's signal-caller for the foreseeable future cannot be ignored.