'Tougher Than Hell!' Washington Commanders QB Sam Howell Has Atlanta Falcons' Attention

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith praised Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell.

For three years, when Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith watched his alma mater, he cheered on quarterback Sam Howell, who set several records at the University of North Carolina.

But this Sunday, Smith will be on the opposing sideline when Howell leads the Washington Commanders into Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Howell and the Commanders are coming off three consecutive losses after a 2-0 start, but Smith likes what he's seen out of the 23-year-old's professional film.

“I think Sam Howell has done a good job in there,” Smith said. “You know what the numbers are. He’s tougher than hell. I think he’s very accurate, but he’ll sit in there. You have to respect that.”

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has the Atlanta Falcons' full attention / Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Despite entering the year with just one start under his belt, Howell has been productive, completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,349 yards and six touchdowns.

He has, however, made his fair share of mistakes, tossing six interceptions while being sacked a league-high 29 times.

Smith knows all about the growing pains of a second-year quarterback; he's going through them right now with Desmond Ridder, who went two rounds earlier than Howell in the 2022 draft.

Perhaps more relevantly, Smith is also quite familiar with Howell's growth, having seen him rise from true freshman starter to the program's all-time leading passer.

Many of the traits Smith saw Howell put on display in Chapel Hill have translated to the professional level, and Atlanta's third-year coach anticipates a big challenge Sunday.

“I knew a lot about Sam just following him,” Smith said. “Big recruit going to North Carolina. Broke a lot of records there. Vertical passer. You can see it now - he throws a very accurate deep ball. I think he’s tougher than hell. He’s resilient. He’s a smart football player. We have a lot of respect for Sam.”

Since Smith took over in 2021, the Falcons have dropped both matchups against the Commanders in the closing seconds ... and with the "tougher than hell" Howell lining up under center, this year's game appears poised to be another dogfight.