Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles Preview: Sam Howell 'Learning' - Or Just 'Losing'?

Sam Howell is 4-4 as the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has endured a rather tough start this season. After beginning the year 2-0, the Commanders have hit the skids recently and are now sitting at 3-4 with a clash against the Philadelphia Eagles looming in Week 8.

But while Howell has shown the inconsistencies that come with a young quarterback being thrown in the deep end, there have also been some good moments as well.

For quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard, Howell continues to grow as an NFL starter, and producing consistent performances is high on the priority list.

“I feel like he's improving, and what I mean is like, he's banking reps right now," Pritchard said. "Every game rep he gets he's learning from. He's by no means a finished product, and he's intentional about things. He's got to work on every single day. So, there’s definitely been ups and downs, you've seen him play really well in stretches, you've seen him play really inconsistently in stretches. So, I think right now it's just focusing on being consistent.”

The team wants Howell to be consistent as the starting quarterback, but that can be hard when you are running for your life every snap - which is what Howell has been forced to do.

Through seven games, Howell has been sacked 40 times, which leads the NFL, and he hasn't had a game where he hasn't been sacked at least four times. That has to change.

Commanders' Sam Howell si the most sacked quarterback in the NFL through seven weeks / © Eric Hartline, USA TODAY

As Howell is just starting his NFL career, his body is absorbing a lot of punishment early on, and Pritchard worries about this, as it means that Howell is getting hit often, and the offense is stalling and getting behind the chains.

“I think I worry about them in so far as, one, just Sam as a person and holding up alright," Pritchard said. "But then, obviously, you know what it means for our offense and our team. It's really hard to sustain drives when you're going backwards, you know? So, that's something that we're looking at, and we're looking for ways to improve it every single day.”

Unfortunately for Washington and Howell, things don't get any easier. The Eagles' defense is fourth in the NFL for sacks (24) through seven games.

If the Commanders have any intention of causing an upset at FedEx Field, the offensive line has to protect Howell. If they can't, expect things to get ugly and quick for the Washington offense. ... and "learning" will actually just be "losing."