Commanders 'Likely' Starting QB Sam Howell Next Season; Expectations High?
The Washington Commanders' quarterback position was a revolving door this season, with three different players getting starts. Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, and Sam Howell all tried their hands at steering the ship.
While Wentz and Heinicke showed what they could do, but also their limitations, rookie Howell stepped in against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 and looked good in his first-ever regular-season start.
With head coach Ron Rivera stating that Howell will "likely" be the team's starter through mini-camp and training camp, should he get the job full-time, what are realistic expectations for the second-year quarterback?
Well, the saying goes, if you're not moving forward, you're going backward, and for Washington, going forward means winning more games.
That could be tough for Howell to do. An 8-8-1 record last season had Washington on the cusp of playoff football. Can Howell put his team in a position to do that?
Without question.
But how?
For starters, he has a good group of players around him. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and his unit ranked seventh in the league for points against per game (20.2). So Howell will not need to score 30+ points every week.
Offensively, running back Brian Robinson showed he can be the bell cow when called upon, and having his talents in the backfield can take the pressure off Howell to throw his team to a win.
The quarterback also has weapons. Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel are all thought to improve on their efforts this season.
But for all the good pieces around him, the teams Howell will be facing will ultimately decide his fate...and it isn't pretty.
The second-year quarterback will face the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles (x2), Dallas Cowboys (x2), Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and the New York Jets, just to name a few.
That is a tough schedule.
So expectation-wise, if Howell can get his team into a position to make the postseason, that can be seen as a win, but given how close the Commanders came this year, it will be the minimum requirement.
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