Commanders' Sam Howell 'Still Standing Tall' Amid Form Slump, Says Jacoby Brissett

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has been benched in consecutive weeks but backup Jacoby Brissett says he's standing tall in the face of adversity.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is going through a tough period in his NFL career right now. Having been benched for Jacoby Brissett in back-to-back weeks, Howell's form line has dropped off a cliff.

Now, the ups and downs associated with a young quarterback are to be expected and Howell isn't the first and won't be the last young player to go through these trials and tribulations.

But for all the questions and criticism that is coming Howell's way, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett says that Howell will come out the other side.

“Every time I watch him play, I’m seeing a kid fight for everything,” Brissett said. “It’s easy for someone to come up here and say oh he could have did this or Jacoby went into the game and did this. What he’s had to endure this year and what he’s going through, these moments right now, he’s still standing tall. I’m excited for this part of his career and I think he’s going to come out on top and a lot of these questions are going to be answered by y’all rather than him.”

Howell, over the last three weeks, has had a tough time of it as he has thrown for 285 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions and has completed just 29 of his 71 passes.

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Head coach Ron Rivera stated that against the Los Angeles Rams, he took Howell out of the game to protect him, but that is harder to buy this week if that's what Rivera goes with as the reason Brissett was put in.

Howell would complete just six of his 22 passes for 56 yards and two interceptions against the New York Jets. 

But while it is all doom and gloom for Howell right now, Brissett says that one day it will all click for the former North Carolina star.

“One day, if you stick with it long enough, that’s what I tell myself, one day it will click," Brissett said. "Then whenever it does, you lean tight to that but also have the experience to be able to look back and be like, man I went through something like this.”

So with two games remaining in Washington's season, exactly what Rivera and the Commanders' coaching staff do with Howell remains to be seen. 

Where Sam Howell Stands in Commanders History Through 15 Games

Whether they keep going with him as the starter, or do they shut him down for the final two weeks and let him watch Brissett run Eric Bieniemy's offense?

Those questions will be answered soon enough, but right now, Howell is in the midst of perhaps the toughest part of his NFL career. It can go one of two ways, he will fight through it and come out the other side, or he won't.

Which way he goes will make for fascinating viewing.