“It’s you guys’ job to keep talking about it, and it’s our job to fix it.”
That was Sam Howell responding to what media and fans want to know regarding the problem the Commanders offense is having concerning quarterback sacks.
Howell continued, “That is the reality of it. All I try to do is come here each and every day and try to look at the way we can do better in protection and how I can do a better job of getting rid of the football.”
Here is the link to Sam Howell’s Wednesday press conference.
Sunday’s numbers were pretty alarming for the Commanders. In their 14-7 loss to an injury-depleted Giants team, Howell completed only 22 of his 42 passing attempts. His 52.38% of completions was Howell’s worst outing of the season. His previous low completion percentage had been 60.87% the previous week in Atlanta.
Sack #4 on a 3rd and 10. Wylie absolutely DESTROYED here.
Sam Howell had now been sacked at least 4 times in each of his first 7 games of the season (ties an NFL Record). pic.twitter.com/yRLdI7FULc
— Mark Tyler(Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) October 22, 2023
Howell blamed the offense for the loss to the Giants. “You definitely know you should never lose a game when the defense gives up 14 points. I think that is the reality of it, and we just got to try to do our part and help out our defense. But there’s definitely a standard, and I think we’ve shown that standard a few times this year, and that’s the standard we chase every single time we step on the field.”
Indeed, Howell was sacked 6 times for -52 yards against the Giants, bringing his season total to 40 through 7 games. Sunday, the offensive line missed repeatedly, forcing Howell to either throw or be hit even quicker than had been the case in other games where the pass protection looked bad enough.
By the way, there has been much talk of the NFL sack record. One distinction needs to be made. Yes, Houston Texan QB David Carr holds the record for a quarterback being sacked in a season. In 2002, the first-year expansion Texans and their rookie quarterback Carr, saw him sacked an NFL record 76 times in a 16-game schedule.
In 1986, NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles surrendered 104 sacks on their quarterbacks Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham. The 104 sacks is the most surrendered by a team in a 16-game schedule.
Commanders Wire is certainly concerned for Howell and in hopes that this problem is solved and he does not break Carr’s individual sack record.