Earlier in the 2023 NFL season, Sam Howell was being talked about as the Washington Commanders’ quarterback of the future.
The former Tar Heel gunslinger, who holds 27 school records and is third in ACC history with 92 passing touchdowns, once led the NFL in passing yards. Washington started 2-0 and showed early signs of being able to compete in a top-heavy, NFC East division.
Then, the Commanders came back down to earth. Since that 2-0 start, they’ve gone 2-10 and are, as of Tuesday, Dec. 19, one of six teams to already be eliminated from the NFL Postseason.
Howell has succeeded for most of that cold stretch, already having five, 300-yard games under his belt. Howell’s best 2023 stretch came in late October/early November, hitting the 300 mark in three straight matchups.
After totaling 300 yards in Washington’s 45-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, Howell’s totaled just 229 passing yards since. His second-consecutive letdown, a 102-yard, 1-touchdown and 1-interception performance against the Los Angeles Rams last weekend, led to him being benched late for former N.C. State quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
What Brissett did in limited action was certainly impressive, completing eight passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. In just one half of football, Brissett had more touchdown passes than Howell in his last three games combined.
The former N.C. State signal-caller is no stranger to NFL success, starting 11 games with the Cleveland Browns last year and nearly leading them to the playoffs.
Howell’s cold spell could be due to the Commanders’ recent tough schedule (Cowboys, Dolphins and Rams in consecutive weeks), but it’s something nonetheless to keep an eye on.
Will Howell start on Sunday, or will Brissett take over?
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