Broncos' Vance Joseph on Commanders QB Sam Howell - 'He's a Playmaker!'

The Denver Broncos face Sam Howell and the Washington Commanders with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph knowing the threat Howell possesses.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell only has two regular season starts to his name, yet he is already garnering respect across the league.

After leading Washington to a scratchy 20-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Vance Joseph and his Denver Broncos defense are up next. 

In game planning for Howell, Joseph zeroed in on the one thing that could become a problem for his defense on Sunday.

“He’s a playmaker," Joseph said. "He’s got this ability to extend plays, and that can become problematic. He’s a confident player, and you can see that they respond to him. I believe that’s one of the reasons [Commanders Head Coach] Ron [Rivera] has confidence. You saw that when he came in last year, and then this year. A different type of player than we saw last week, and we just have to understand what are the things he’s comfortable with and maybe what are the things he’s not as comfortable with.”

Howell wasn't exactly comfortable in the Week 1 win over Arizona as he was sacked six times and intercepted once in what was a brutal outing at FedEx Field.

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Commanders head coach Ron Rivera stated that Howell will learn not to expose himself to punishment as he did last week and in a hostile environment like Mile High, that sentiment needs to be heeded.

For Joseph, speeding up Howell's internal clock and generating consistent pressure will be key to getting the team's first win of the season.

“It’s absolutely important," Joseph said. "Obviously, getting pressure on the quarterback and getting him off his spot and winning third downs are going to be critical in this game. That’s always going to be important for us—pressure the quarterback and win third downs.”

It will be Howell's first-ever road game on Sunday and the Denver defense seems hellbent on making it one to forget for the former North Carolina star.

Howell has the resilience to overcome adversity, but if he is again sacked six times, that might be too much to overcome for the young quarterback. 

Keeping him upright will go a long way to Washington starting a season 2-0 for the first time since 2011.