The Washington Commanders took a major risk when they named Sam Howell their starting quarterback this offseason. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Carolina, he made only one appearance as a rookie, starting the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.
Howell led the Commanders to a victory in that game, a great start to his NFL career. Between that and the progress he showed in practice and this offseason, the team was comfortable enough to name him their starter.
While many people thought it was a bad idea, Howell has played pretty well given the circumstances. Playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, Howell has still found some success playing in Eric Bieniemy’s system.
While he isn’t Patrick Mahomes, who was Bieniemy’s quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs, he is playing well enough to put the Commanders in position to win games. The team is 4-6, but with a few better breaks, they could easily be .500 or better.
Howell is leading the NFL in passes completed and attempted, going 264-for-397. He leads the league with 2,783 passing yards and unfortunately is also taking sacks at an alarming rate, absorbing 47 total for 317 yards lost. Both of those numbers also lead the league.
On top of the prolific passing numbers, Howell has shown some escapability and rushing prowess as well. He has 174 yards on the ground this year, following up the 35 he gained against the Cowboys last season.
That production has led to him making history. According to Washington Commanders PR on X, formerly known as Twitter, Howell is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 2,900 yards with a completion percentage north of 65 percent while rushing for 200+ yards in their first 11 career games.
The only other quarterback in Washington history to surpass the 200-yard rushing mark in their first 11 games was Robert Griffin III. Howell is in a class of his own, which is impressive given some of the shortcomings around him on the roster.
If he can finish the season strong, Washington will be in a great place heading into the 2024 offseason. Instead of having to find another franchise quarterback, they would be able to use their assets to upgrade the rest of the roster around him.
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