Washington Commanders QB Sam Howell 'Moving On To Chicago'

A quick turnaround for the Washington Commanders means little time for quarterback Sam Howell to dwell on the team's second straight loss.

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders - like most teams - like to have a 24-hour rule when it comes to celebrating wins and dwelling on losses.

That rule is an important part of keeping the competitive spirit alive and well, but this week the Commanders have an even bigger reason to move past the week before with a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears just four days after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.

"I think I did a decent job for most of the game. Obviously, we came up short and I would've liked to have made more plays and given us a chance to win," Washington quarterback Sam Howell said when asked about what he sees looking back at Week 4. "But Philly is over with and we're moving on to Chicago. Got a short week so been pretty busy trying to get ready to go for that but we're excited."

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) runs past Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field :: ERIC HARTLINE/USA TODAY SPORTS

As they look forward to facing the Chicago Bears this Thursday night they'll find the league's 31st ranked defense in yards per play waiting for them.

On top of that rough statistical ranking, the Bears are also one of the worst defenses in surrendering passing yards per game, have only sacked quarterbacks on 1.57 percent of dropbacks faced, and have allowed more than 20 first downs per game through four.

Howell is currently tied for second in throwing the most interceptions this season with five, but four of those came in one game. 

This week he draws a defense that has only intercepted two passes and has only gotten their hands on one other they dropped. 

On top of that, opposing quarterbacks are completing 70 percent of their passes against the Bears and are earning an average quarterback rating (QBR) of 116.3.

Howell, in his five NFL starts, has never stacked improved QBRs two weeks in a row, but will certainly have the opportunity to do so this week.

Still, the quarterback has respect for his opponent.

"Their record (0-4) is what it is, but it's definitely not a team you can take lightly. There's no easy games in the NFL," Howell said about matching up against Chicago this week. "They have a lot of really good players on their defense and they fly around...We definitely have our hands full."

It's a good mentality to have heading into what some might consider a trap game, and against an opponent most expect Washington to handle fairly easily.