Commanders RB Antonio Gibson Says QB Sam Howell 'Kept His Poise'

Despite a disastrous day, Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell showed his teammates that he doesn't fold after one bad game.

LANDOVER, Md. -- The NFL is a tough business and the Washington Commanders have been on the bruising end of it more times than they care to acknowledge. 

For quarterback Sam Howell, however, the Commanders' 37-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills is his first experience with the sharp end of professional football.

Still, despite playing to a 41.5 quarterback rating and throwing four interceptions, running back Antonio Gibson says Howell never waivered through it all. 

"He kept his poise," Gibson said. Through a storm like that, that was real tough and he didn't switch up on anybody. He didn't change his character and he stuck it out all he way to the last possession we got. I feel like as a young guy and as a QB, that's tremendous to me because that was a tough one."

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In the world of leadership, it's always easy to be the guy or gal in front when times are good.

When the team is coming back from fourth-quarter deficits to win games and the stat line is growing instead of receding almost anyone can step up to the postgame podium and give credit to any and everybody around him.

It's when the games are bad that real leadership shows itself, and according to Gibson, that's what he got from the second-year quarterback on Sunday afternoon. 

So what's next for Howell, Gibson, and the rest of the team?

"Come to work," Gibson said. "Nothing's going to change in our minds. We're gonna come to work. It's a long season. That was one game. We still need to correct (it), but that was one game. It's a long season and we can still make what we want to happen come true so just got to go to work."

Work will get started again Monday as Howell said he'll sit down and dissect the tape with the harshest blade reserved for himself.

From there, he and his coaches and teammates will work to extract the growing points and leave the negativity behind on the rain-soaked FedEx Field surface where it can drown out and wash away. 

It'll be extra important Washington takes lessons from this loss to a title contender in stride, because another awaits the team next weekend in Philadelphia.