Commander Sam? Washington Rookie QB Howell Impresses In Debut vs. Panthers

Fifth-round pick Sam Howell proved his worth during the Commanders loss to the Panthers.

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera was looking for efficiency from his offense Saturday in front of the home crowd at FedEx Field. For the most part, he found it during four quarters of football.

The attention will likely turn to quarterback Carson Wentz following the Commanders' 23-21 preseason-opening loss to the Carolina Panthers. It should for good reason. Wentz cared more about consistency and accuracy over big-time throws and velocity.

And it worked in his favor.

In the 21 snaps he was given, Wentz performed up to standard. However, he wasn't the only quarterback for Washington who put on a show and made Rivera feel a bit more comfortable about the position.

The other? Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina who might give Wentz a run for his money should the latter, a former No. 2 pick, ever regress at any point in the season.

"Sam did a nice job. He played like he did in college," Rivera said postgame. "This is a guy that is very smart, got a good arm, very athletic, runs well with the ball. He’s a guy the more he learns the better he is going to become. 

"He is a guy that has a bright future.”

Howell entered the game with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. Not every pass was pretty. They also weren't always on-point. But what Howell missed with the arm, he made up for with his mobility as a runner.

His longest play of the afternoon was a 40-yard pass to receiver Alex Erickson. He led two drives down the field for a pair of touchdowns while also taking over eight minutes off the clock. On third down, Howell went 2-of-5, but he also managed to pick up nine first downs.

And when the pocket collapsed, Howell took off running. His first run was for a gain of a yard. The next? A 17-yard scramble for the score in the third quarter.

"I saw a little hole, so I just tried to tuck it, run it, and make a play," Howell said. "I ran the ball a lot in college, so it’s something I'm kind of used to.”

Howell finished 9 of 16 passing for 145 yards. He tacked on another 19 yards with three carries. And he led Washington to scores twice, one of which kept the team in the game with minutes remaining.

Howell said the game is different compared to his time at Chapel Hill, primarily in terms of rushing. With the Tar Heels, he scored 17 rushing touchdowns, including 11 in his final season. But in the pros, defenses move faster. Linebackers can decipher plays at alarming speeds. It's just something he'll have to get used to.

"You can see it in practice, but you can’t really see it until you get to the games," Howell said. "I would definitely say (the difference is) just the speed of the game.”

Where does Howell go from here? He has two more preseason games to not only show Rivera he's worthy of making the final 53-man roster, but also perhaps become the No. 2 option behind Wentz - even with folk hero Taylor Heinicke still here.

But even with a stellar start, Howell isn't satisfied with his outing.

Said Howell: “I definitely left some plays out there though and there’s some things I can improve on and build on from this game, so I just can’t wait to watch the film and get back to work."