Washington Commanders' Sam Howell Will Have 'Good Test' vs. New York Giants Defense

The Washington Commanders face the New York Giants on Sunday and Ron Rivera says Don Martindale's defense will be a good test for Sam Howell.

The Washington Commanders will look to build on their win over the Atlanta Falcons when they face the New York Giants in their second division game of the season.

Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has had a good start to life in the NFL, and his next challenge is Wink Martindale's defense.

For Ron Rivera, the Giants' defense will be a good test for Howell.

“I think it is a good test, a good opportunity, but also it'll be a good test for our guys up front to see where we are with that," Rivera said. "I mean, I'd like to believe in the last couple of weeks just looking at things, especially last week, some of the growth that we've seen with our offensive line. Again, one thing we like to see is Sam get the ball out obviously and not take some of those sacks. So, this will be a good opportunity to see where he is and where the rest of the growth and development is for our football team.”

Howell taking hits has been a problem all season, as the Commanders' offensive line has given up the most sacks in the NFL through six weeks (34). 

In somewhat fortuitous circumstances, the Giants only have five sacks in six games, with four of them coming from Kayvon Thibodeaux. So Howell and the Commanders might get a breather of sorts on Sunday.

Commanders head coach thinks that the Giants' defense will be a good test for Sam Howell / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

With Howell showing promise as the team's starter but also his inexperience, there is a fine line between keeping him out of harm's way, and getting him those valuable reps.

But as far as how quickly Rivera wants Howell to be playing at an elite level, he isn't putting a time frame on it.

“I don't think there is a timeline. I really don't," Rivera said. "That's something I think as a quarterback coach or the coordinator that's something that they're looking for. That obviously would tell them that there's growth. He's starting to understand what the protections mean, what it means with this type of route combination. It's a five-step drop as opposed to a seven-step drop. Those are all things that young quarterbacks have to learn and understand. I think that's what we're looking for to see as far as what we're looking at to see the growth.”

It is worth remembering that Howell is only a handful of games into his NFL career, and life as a starting quarterback is hard for anyone, let alone a player with fewer than 10 starts.

But that is the direction Washington and Rivera went with, and if Howell can pass this "good test" and move his team to 4-3 on the year, most fans would be happy with where the franchise and Howell are going ... for now.