There was a lot of debate about whether Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera should have sat quarterback Sam Howell during a 37-3 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 3.
Some former coaches and players said they would’ve sat Howell in the fourth quarterback when it became clear the game was out of reach. He took more additional hits in that game by finishing. Howell ended that game sacked nine times and hit 15 times while throwing four interceptions.
The most important thing is how Howell would respond with a road game against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.
Well, Howell aced the test with his most complete game. The Commanders led for much of the game, and Howell’s last-minute drive to force overtime was reminiscent of some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Rivera was proud of how Howell handled adversity.
How did offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy feel?
“Well, when I was a young player, I wanted every opportunity to gain as much experience as possible,” Bieniemy said about Howell remaining in the game late in blowout losses to Buffalo and Chicago.
“So being a former player, I know how players think, and so players don’t want to ever be pulled. So, the thing that I’m looking at is just allowing Sam to learn how to grow and play through the good as well as the bad. This is why we are a team. You can grow. You can learn things from those experiences. So, when it’s all said and done with, this is a part of the process that we are supposed to have at this current moment.”
This is a good perspective. The one concern is the hits Howell continues to take. It’s something Bieniemy acknowledges.
“You want to make sure that you’re taking care of your quarterback,” he said. “Obviously, some of that is self-inflicted wounds by him, but also, too, I mean, we’re a team, and collectively, we all take our share in the blame. So, we just need to make sure that we’re doing a great job of protecting up front.”
Some metrics rate Washington’s pass protection better than some realize. However, as Bieniemy said, there is plenty of blame to go around for Howell taking too many sacks. At some point, he needs to learn to get rid of the ball faster. One thing he’s shown in his young career is he always gets better. That’s what the Commanders are hoping for the remainder of this season.
Overall, Bieniemy is pleased with Howell’s development.
“I think every day is a learning process for Sam,” Bieniemy said.
“So, you know, it’s unfortunate that these sacks have happened. I think there is some good that has taken place. I mean, obviously, you never want the outcome to be what it was, but I thought Sam did a heck of a job of managing the game. I thought he played his tail off. I thought he competed. I thought he hung in the pocket. I thought he tried to do everything that we asked him to do. So, when you have a player of that magnitude, obviously, you don’t want the bad to take place. But the thing that I’m learning about Sam is that Sam is just a competitor. Sam wants to do right. He does not want to let his teammates down.”
Howell and the Commanders face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
