Washington Commanders Coach Ron Rivera Not Surprised by QB Sam Howell's Play vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Washington Commanders suffered a crushing loss at the hands (talons?) of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, as a last-second field goal from Jason Myers sent coach Ron Rivera's squad to a 4-6 record ahead of a tough final stretch this season.
Despite losing a fumble in the second half, the loss was hardly on the shoulders of second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who played one of his best games of the season while going up against a talented Seattle defense. Howell finished 29 of 44 passing for 312 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He did his part by tying the game at 26-26 with 52 seconds left, but the Commanders defense folded on the game's final drive.
Rivera is as hard on Howell as anyone, as all praise is met with equal clarification that there's room to improve. That said, he admitted Monday that he wasn't surprised by the things Howell was able to do in Sunday's loss.
“I'll tell you, to be honest with you, there's not a lot of things that are standing out that all of a sudden you go, ‘Oh wow, that's new,'" Rivera said. "I think he's gotten to a point where he's done a lot of good things. He's putting a lot of things together. He is still growing, he's still learning. And by no means is he there."
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field.
© Joe Nicholson, USA TODAY
The NFL's leader in passing yards (2,783) headed into Week 11, Howell continues to show signs that he's deserving of being Washington's franchise quarterback.
Washington will host the lowly New York Giants (2-8) on Sunday. Despite the Commanders being a 9.5-point favorite at home, it's hard to rule out any possibility given the NFC East rivalry.
But after what will likely be a win over New York, it quickly becomes a gauntlet for the Commanders. They'll have to visit the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 before hosting the Miami Dolphins. Washington then gets a late bye in Week 14 and will return to face an up-and-down Los Angeles Rams squad at SoFi Stadium in Week 15.
After that, Howell and the Commanders will have a three-game stretch to end the season against three of the best defenses in the league. Washington will visit the New York Jets in Week 16, host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 and will end the regular season at home against Dallas in Week 18.
If the Commanders are going to have any hope of getting hot and making a run, they'll have little choice but to keep leaning on Howell.
