Nov. 5, 2023, the Washington Commander’s Week 9 game.
In New England, against the Patriots, Commanders quarterback Sam Howell forced a horrendous interception to conclude the first half leaving the Commanders scoreless on a drive that, at worst, should have ended in a chip-shot field goal.
Howell would turn it around with a beautiful 33-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson, and the Commanders defeated the Patriots 20-17.
The Commanders’ record was 4-5, and their draft position was barely in the top half of the 32-team league. Five games later, and perhaps that Sam Howell interception, as unexpected and unbelievable as it was, has actually become a microcosm prophecy of what was to come over the next six weeks.
Against Seattle, Howell succeeded several times with off-schedule throws, but the Washington defense pitifully gave away the game, which concluded in a walk-off field goal defeating the Commanders 29-26.
The Giants kept Howell contained, he displayed a lack of composure to take what the defense was giving him. The Commanders lost their second consecutive game 31-19 to the Giants. Hugely lopsided losses to Dallas 45-10 and Miami 45-15 each included a pick-six by Howell.
Then came last week, and the Commanders were down 28-7 to the Rams when Howell had Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin both wide open on a first down. Yet Howell stared down McLaurin, didn’t deliver the ball, kept staring, and then, for some reason, forced it to McLaurin, now tightly covered, and it was intercepted.
He was pulled by Rivera and Bieniemy in favor of backup Jacoby Brissett. And this surprised us? Now put yourself in Howell’s shoes.
For the last five weeks, he reads and or hears how the fan base is hoping they lose so the Commanders move up in the draft order. And each week, they move upward the draft ladder; the talk is about how the Commanders will draft a quarterback next year.
Howell is a competitor. However, he is an inexperienced NFL competitor who is pressing to prove himself the future franchise quarterback of this team.
It’s like the tennis player who knows he has to win the next game to stay in the set but doesn’t relax enough to focus on how to win the game is actually one point at at time. Howell has not been willing to move the chains and take what the defense gives him. He continues to not see the field well because he is pressing.
He ends up holding the ball for a bigger play opportunity and either gets sacked or then forces an interception. Howell leads the NFL in sacks (59), passes intercepted (15), sacked yards lost (403) and pick sixes (4).
His QBR (46.2) is now 22nd, his passer rating (83.9) is now 23rd, and his adjusted yards per attempt is now 26th (4.83).
Just five games ago we were all excited about the idea of the extra draft picks to use to build around his fifth-round salary for the next couple of seasons.
Now he may have played his way out of that option.
