Washington Commanders' Sam Howell 'Done Excellent Job' Learning Eric Bieniemy's System, Says Ron Rivera

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has liked how quarterback Sam Howell has adapted to Eric Bieniemy's offensive system so far this season.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has been on a constant journey of learning what it means to be an NFL starter, but also learning a new offensive system as Eric Bieniemy has taken over the coordinator role this season.

While things have been up and down, which is to be expected with a player with just 10 NFL starts, there has been growth from Howell, and his head coach, Ron Rivera, has liked what he has seen from him so far.

“I think he's still growing. I really do," Rivera said. "I think Sam has done an excellent job in learning and grasping the philosophies that [Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator] Eric [Bieniemy] has, getting used to the schemes and understanding what his responsibility is. There's a lot to learn. To be honest, I went into this from my perspective, going with Eric, knowing what to expect as having been around [Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach] Andy [Reid]. I was early in my career, so I kind of figured there was going to be a growth period.”

With the Commanders sitting at 4-5 after nine games, Howell has shown his ability to lead this team in the tough moments, and while he hasn't always come out with the win, he has often shown what Rivera calls his "trademark" resiliency.

Washington is still in the playoff hunt, which will no doubt excite fans as we enter the second half of the season.

Ron Rivera has bene impressed with Sam Howell's growth this season / Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Commanders have the 18th-ranked offense (21.2 points per game) as Howell has thrown for 2471 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while completing 66.6% of his passes.

But is Rivera surprised by what Howell has done so far this season?

“I kind of expected it just from seeing what he did against Dallas and knowing what we knew about him based on just watching him in his college career," Rivera said. "His toughness, all that stuff is kind of what we thought. So far, he hasn't played a full year yet, but everything just seems to be pointing up. So that's a huge plus for us.”

Howell and the Commanders will get a stern test on Sunday as they travel to face the  Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field as they will look to keep in touch in the playoff race.

But while things haven't gone completely to plan this season, Howell has shown enough promise to suggest maybe Washington has found their franchise quarterback.

The jury is likely still out on that, but if he can pull out a win against the Seahawks, then the narrative might change. It seems like a tall order, but the Commanders under Howell have the resiliency to roll into enemy territory and escape with a win.