Through ten weeks of the NFL season, if the average football viewer was asked who the leaders were in passing yards and touchdowns, one might guess Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow, or some combination thereof filling the first several spots. While most of the notable quarterbacks do hold places near the top of those categories, it is Washington Commanders second year player Sam Howell who leads in passing yards and is top 5 in TDs thrown. This comes as a surprise to even the most loyal of Washington fans, as no one could have expected his output through 10 games. This begs the following questions: how is he doing it? And what does this mean for the future of a historically unstable position in the Nation’s Capital.
The Commanders have not had any rhythm at QB in the last thirty years apart from Kirk Cousin’s time starting in the district from 2015-2017. Washington, however, franchise tagged him multiple times before letting him walk in free agency to Minnesota where, before an Achilles injury knocked him out for this season, he had been as durable as anyone in the league. In that time, Washington cycled through twelve different quarterbacks. These included aging veterans (Alex Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick), journeymen (Case Keenum, Josh Johnson) and career backups (Colt McCoy, Kyle Allen). Standout Washington Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin has been on the receiving end of 10 of those QBs, even though he’s only in his fifth season with the team. Either through poor play or injury, none of these QBs could hold down the position. Enter Sam Howell in 2022.
Drafted with the first pick in the fifth round out of North Carolina, Howell was the third string behind veteran Carson Wentz and fan favorite Taylor Heinicke. Once the Commanders were officially eliminated from playoff contention following a disastrous performance from Wentz, head coach Ron Rivera finally turned to the rookie for the team’s season finale against Dallas. He impressed in his debut, as he threw and ran for a touchdown in the 26-6 victory over the superior opponent. In the offseason, the team hired Eric Bieniemy to be their Offensive Coordinator, making the lateral move from the Kansas City Chiefs where he helped 2-time Super Bowl Champion and MVP Patrick Mahomes blossom into the best QB in the league.
There have been ups and downs without a doubt to start Howell’s 2023 campaign. He had a terrible game at home vs the Buffalo Bills. The QB threw four ugly interceptions and the team failed to score until they kicked a field goal at the end solely to avoid the shutout. He has also been sacked forty-seven times through ten games, which is on pace to shatter the all-time single season record of seventy-six.
Through the rough start, Howell has stayed poised and confident. The relationship between QB and OC has continued to grow, as Howell continues to get the ball out faster and has been making smarter reads. He has also earned the trust of his coaching staff, as they have allowed the former Tar Heel complete freedom in the offense. In addition, the UNC standout brought the explosive play to Washington, something that has eluded the team’s offense since Cousins. Through nine games, Howell led the league in “big time throws”, which are defined as throwing the ball at least twenty yards down the field and fitting it in a tight window. Overall, he has thirty-two passes that have gained at least twenty yards, which is good enough for ninth in the league.
The most impressive aspect of Howell’s game is perhaps his toughness and ability to get back up and make the next play. Even through all the sacks and big hits he has taken from 280-pound defenders, with some even drawing penalty flags, Howell has not missed a single snap. He stands in the pocket in the face of pressure, and often makes heroic plays despite his lackluster offensive line.
Further, in late game circumstances, he has led tremendous scoring drives, as he continually demonstrates clutch performances not often witnessed in Washington. In a game at Philadelphia, an extremely difficult environment on the road, Howell threw a game-tying touchdown pass as time expired. Weeks later, in Seattle, he located his UNC teammate Dyami Brown for another game-tying touchdown with only seconds left to play. Washington’s defense ultimately could not close out either game, but all Commanders fans need right now is proof that they have a quarterback who can lead the offense in crunch time.
While it is still early in the career of the young Sam Howell, all the signs of success are there. More importantly, his relationship with Bieniemy is improving, and that is showing on the field. The playoffs are unlikely this season, but for Washington D.C., there is reason to hope for the first time in a long time.
