Cardinals Coach Reveals Game Plan for Commanders' Sam Howell

The Arizona Cardinals will have the task of game-planning for new starting quarterback Sam Howell and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in Week 1, which is not an easy feat.

The first game of the season can always present surprises for an opposition.

Sometimes it's a result of new players and other times it's because of a new coaching bringing a fresh scheme. In the Arizona Cardinals' case — when preparing for Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy — it's both.

Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said to game plan for Howell and Bieniemy, respectively, he's looking back at previous tape from the quarterback's play in the preseason and the offensive coordinator's tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Sam, had that game that he played last year that you can always look at. We didn't prepare for Sam ever when I was in Philadelphia, but we went against a lot of the similar players offensively," Rallis said. "You use the preseason as well. You definitely use Bieniemy's past obviously in [Kansas City]. The last game of last season for me personally and for [Jonathan Gannon], we were going up against Bieniemy. So, collective use of all those things to try to put the best game plan together."

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While the preseason will certainly help get a look at the vanilla plays of the offense, there are still many hidden within Washington's playbook that has yet to be revealed.

Kansas City is famous for drafting certain plays to take down teams weaknesses, sometimes installing that into the offense the week of the game like their patented "Snow Globe" play where they all spin in a circle in the huddle.

Bieniemy is one of the more creative offensive minds in the NFL, while also certainly benefitting from his 10 years together with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Kansas City's total offense has ranked top five in five of the last six seasons — including just the second 7,000-yard offensive season since 2013 — while the Chiefs have had a top-10 scoring offense in eight of the last 10 years.

Howell started the only game of his career in the 2022 season finale against the Cowboys, completing 11 of his 19 pass attempts for 169 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while adding a score on the ground. In two games this preseason, Howell completed 75.7 percent of his 37 throws for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

Howell and the Commanders open their season against the Cardinals at FedExField 1 p.m. Sunday. The game will be broadcast on FOX.