The Washington Commanders are going through some difficult times right now. While there is a lot of hope and optimism surrounding the franchise’s future under new owner Josh Harris, the team has loads of cap room and five draft picks in the first three rounds in 2024; the immediate future is much less certain.
Head coach Ron Rivera is in his fourth season, and he has yet to have a winning season. Currently 4-7, the Commanders would need to win five of their remaining six games for Rivera to have that elusive winning season. That seems next to impossible with one of the more difficult schedules in the NFL.
Another source of optimism for the Commanders is second-year quarterback Sam Howell. While he struggled against the New York Giants in Sunday’s 31-19 loss, Howell was coming off three excellent performances. He’s certainly shown more good than bad through 11 games.
Sunday was a new low for Howell and Rivera. Rivera appeared tired and visibly frustrated after an embarrassing home loss to the Giants. The Commanders turned the ball over six times, as Howell had three interceptions.
After the game, the head coach told Howell he fully supported him.
“He just told me just keep my head up,” Howell said. “We got a lot of football left. But he’s always had my back, always supported me. It’s fun to play with a coach who has always had my back and always knows how to pick me up and get me back going.”
Howell said Rivera and all of his coaches encourage him daily.
“I think not only Ron, but all my coaches, they pull me aside every now and then and tell me they think I’m doing some good things and tell me things that they think I’ve improved upon,” Howell said.
Howell has done his part, too, as he’s known to spend a lot of time in the film room. The second-year passer has also won over teammates with not only his play but his toughness, too. Look no further than his touchdown run last week. After a Giants player took a cheap shot at Howell, his teammates quickly came to his defense and were ready for a fight.
Howell is doing many of the right things, but he must do it consistently over the final six weeks to show ownership they should build around him — not replace him.