Cowboys at Washington: Commanders Decide on QB Sam Howell For Week 18 vs. Micah Parsons and Dallas

Cowboys at Washington: Commanders Decide on QB Sam Howell For Week 18 vs. Micah Parsons and Dallas

FRISCO - For the Washington Commanders, it's a grab-bag situation. And it's going to be the Commanders giving the steering wheel to second-year QB Sam Howell as Washington plays host to the Cowboys at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday.

And for the Cowboys? Maybe they don't much care.

Howell was benched last week in favor of Jacoby Brissett, and the idea was that is might benefit Howell to sit out the rest of the year, in part because he's banged up ... but also maybe just so he can kind of reflect on a failing Washington season.

But then an injury to the vet Brissett forced the team to make a last-minute decision to go back to its second-year pro Howell.

Is this better? Worse? A year ago, Howell was the QB of record in Washington's Week 18 upset of the Cowboys, a game that convinced the Commanders that he might be "the guy.''

But ... In 16 games this season, Howell has thrown 20 touchdown passes and a league-high 19 interceptions. He’s had his moments; early in the year he was leading the NFL in passing yards, but he's been battered along the way - he's taken an NFL-high 61 sacks this year. ...

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And Washington has been battered, too, in every day, as the team's 4-12 record is likely to get coach Ron Rivera fired by new owner Josh Harris, who is surely aware that a Dallas win at D.C. - as much as the Commanders faithful will hate it - actually benefits that team as it can mean the No. 2 overall pick in next April's NFL Draft.

Meanwhile, Dallas needs to win to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs ... and the Cowboys are 13.5-point favorites - pretty much no matter which QB plays for Washington.