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Ron Rivera is entering a critical fourth season as head coach of the Washington Commanders. In three seasons, Rivera has a record of 22-27-1. He badly needs to win in 2023, which may not be enough for him to fulfill the final season of his five-year contract in 2024.
Washington will have a new owner — soon. And that the new owner may want to completely clean house and start over. But if Rivera can get the Commanders to 10 wins and earn a playoff berth, he makes a stronger case to return.
So much of Rivera’s hopes this season are reliant upon new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and quarterback Sam Howell. Through the first week of OTAs, there have been some highs and lows with Howell, which is to be expected for someone with one year of experience and one NFL start. However, it’s how he’s bounced back from some of those mistakes in practice that have impressed teammates and coaches.
After practice last week, Bieniemy spoke of what it’s been like working with Howell early, and he’s happy with his progress.
“Well, first of all, Sam’s a very competitive kid,” Bieniemy said of Howell. “The thing I love about him, too, he’s smart. He understands some of the times when he’s making mistakes, and the only thing he wants to know is what can he do to get better.”
Bieniemy appreciates Howell’s work ethic and how he bounces back from his mistakes.
“I’m enjoying just watching him work and watching how he handles the highs and the lows because you’re gonna have some of that throughout the course of working during the offseason. Just like you would if you weren’t playing in the game. But the thing that I love about him is that he’s always staying steady. His demeanor does not change, and he’s very, very competitive. And I will say this; he autocorrects himself as well because he knows exactly what he did and what he should have done, which is a good thing.”
It’s encouraging to hear Howell’s progress through Bieniemy’s eyes. Howell has had some good days through OTAs. He’s also made his share of mistakes, but that’s all part of the process for a young quarterback. The next real test for Howell will be training camp in July.