Sam Howell impresses in debut for Washington Commanders

Sam Howell makes a strong first impression

The Washington Commanders have quarterbacks Carson Wentz, and Taylor Heinicke and they drafted Sam Howell in the fifth round in 2022.

The former North Carolina star got his first chance to play in an NFL game on Saturday and made a great appearance.

He was able to scramble 17 yards for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers and then he led another touchdown drive, finishing it with a 1-yard run.

To complete his effort, Howell found Alex Erickson for the two-point conversion that gave Washington a 21-20 lead.

However, the Panthers got a late field goal to earn a 23-21 win.

Howell went 9-of-16 for 143 passing and had 3 rushes for 19 yards.

The Howell Highlights:

Washington quarterback coach Ken Zampese had some insight into Howell when he spoke to CBSSports.com:

“He’s humble, he’s got a live arm, and he likes to be coached. That’s kind of Sam in a nutshell. He really gleans everything off of every meeting and wants to know, and anytime I say, ‘Hey Sam, let’s get together before or after practice,’ he says, ‘Yes sir,’ and we’re on it, we’re doing it. And that’s going to go a long way to his development toward being fast, not slow. He’s very coachable, he’s got a high motor for work and his focus is good, and he has a lot of pride. That’s the other thing that sticks out: he’s got a lot of pride. He sees himself in a very upwardly-mobile-in-this-profession way, and he should, because he can.

“He doesn’t give himself a crutch if he misses a throw. He knows he can make it because it should be easy for him in his mind because ‘I can do all of these things, and when I don’t, I’m very disappointed,’ as opposed to, ‘Yeah, you know I just missed one. Whatever.’ It’s not like that for him. He holds himself accountable very well.