In the world of professional football, standout performances often become the stuff of legends. Last Sunday, Washington Commanders fans were treated to one such performance by quarterback Sam Howell against the New England Patriots. Howell’s skills and determination on the field left a lasting impression. His latest outing had fans and analysts alike talking about his prognosis for the future as the possible long-term answer at signal caller for Washington.
Howell has been steady and solid for consecutive weeks. The second-year pro was coming off an impressive 397-yard four-touchdown day against the Philadelphia Eagles. Against a Bill Belichick-Patriots-led defense, Howell continued his rapid development behind center passing again for over 300 yards – 325 to be exact – en route to a Commanders 20-17 hard-fought victory. His accuracy and arm strength were on full display as he consistently delivered pinpoint throws to his receivers while passing for one touchdown. It was a play he made with his legs, however, that would be the play of the game.
On a third and 23 from the Commanders’ 44-yard line, Howell decided to take off put his head down, and run for 24 yards. On the play, Howell would run through three Patriot defenders to pick up the improbable first down.
Overall, Howell’s decision-making had the Patriots’ defense struggling to keep up. His deep passes and precise timing gave New England little room to react, and his chemistry with his receivers was evident.
What truly was on display in the game was Howell’s composure under pressure. The Patriots’ defense tried everything in their playbook to rattle him, but he remained unflappable, even in the face of heavy blitzes and close coverage from the opposing secondary. For a player only making his 10th NFL start, Howell maintained his poise, using his football IQ to outmaneuver the Patriots’ defense to execute key plays.
While speaking with media before a recent practice, Howell elaborated on his continued development with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and growth in his system.
“I think we’re getting better each and every week, not only just me and EB, but I think as an offense as a whole,” Howell would say. “I think we’re getting better each and every week and I think he’s calling some really good games and he’ll continue to do that. He prepares so hard and always has a good plan for us. For the most part, we’ve been executing it, we just got to try to continue to finish drives and finish games in the fourth quarter.”
Howell spoke about what he’s learned from Bieniemy. The duo could be the most important pairing at Commanders Park considering they could be a tandem that’s in DC for years to come.
“I think I’ve just learned how much he cares and just how much he puts into this thing and just how hard he works,” the former North Carolina star said. “He truly, and everyone says they want to win, but he truly wants to win, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win football games. It’s been fun to learn from him, it’s been fun to go through this journey with him. I mean, he’s a tremendous leader and he works so hard and he puts everything he has into this.”
If Howell can continue to progress each week in Bieniemy’s offense, the Commanders might have their quarterback for the foreseeable future and possibly their next head coach. The breakthrough would put an end to a two-decade-old question that has engulfed the franchise.