Commanders News: Sam Howell, Emmanuel Forbes, power rankings and Week 5

Commanders QB Sam Howell's shifting focus

Sam Howell received plenty of adulation and deservedly so after his sensational performance at the Philadelphia Eagles. And based on what we've seen from the quarterback overall since the start of 2023, those in power within the Washington Commanders made the right call by giving him a legitimate shot at being their franchise guy.

Howell's been quick to point out that the result is all that matters, not his individual production. He's got an old head on young shoulders and the signal-caller is clearly eager for his team to focus fully on their next challenge this Thursday versus the winless Chicago Bears.

When discussing the next test, the former fifth-round selection stated via Sports Illustrated that the Commanders won't be taking the Bears lightly. Howell also recognizes that any drop-off could come with severe ramifications attached.

"I think I did a decent job for most of the game. Obviously, we came up short and I would've liked to have made more plays and given us a chance to win. But Philly is over with and we're moving on to Chicago. Got a short week so been pretty busy trying to get ready to go for that but we're excited. Their record (0-4) is what it is, but it's definitely not a team you can take lightly. There's no easy games in the NFL. They have a lot of really good players on their defense and they fly around…We definitely have our hands full."

- Sam Howell via Sports Illustrated

Momentum continues to build around Howell and Eric Bieniemy is getting a better feel on how best to scheme things up for his new playmakers. Couple this with Chicago's difficulties across the board and it's not hard to see why the Commanders are favored at FedEx Field tomorrow night.