Commanders' Eric Bieniemy on Sam Howell Benching: 'Sometimes You Need a Spark'
All the talk over the last few days has been the Washington Commanders' decision to bench young quarterback Sam Howell for veteran Jacoby Brissett.
After Howell struggled mightily in the last two games, Brissett replaced him and then performed well, the writing was on the wall for Howell. But it is all part of the job and given that Howell doesn't even have 20 starts in the NFL, this will be a learning process.
The Commanders' offense over the last couple of weeks has failed to fire under Howell, and when Brissett took over, things clicked and Washington nearly overcame big deficits to win - which likely led to the decision to start Brissett over Howell.
“It's a number of things," offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said regarding what went into the decision to start Brissett. "Obviously, we weren't playing well as a team, and sometimes you just need a spark. Sam did a number of great things throughout the entire season. Obviously, there's a number of things that take place throughout the course of a game, but unfortunately, the quarterback position is the most scrutinized position in all of football."
So it is Brissett's show for the final two games as the Commanders look to try and get something out of the season.
Vincent Carchietta/USA Today
Howell did show promise throughout the year, but with cracks starting to appear in his game, the Commanders did what they thought was best for his development and took him out of the firing line.
Sitting at 4-11, there isn't much to get excited about, but as it stands, the Commanders will have a top draft pick, which leads to the question of what the organization will do come draft time.
There is a thought that Washington is "very interested" in USC's Caleb Williams, and with Howell struggling, the decision might be to try and go after Williams by trading up in the draft. With so much change expected both on and off the field this offseason, it feels like a defining period for Washington with the new ownership group.
The season hasn't been a success by any stretch, but the one shining light has been Howell's development as there was a thought that the organization might have found its franchise quarterback.
But with a top draft pick in a draft loaded with quarterbacks, Washington might have a decision to make.
Bieniemy said the Commanders needed a spark, and while Brissett might do that the rest of the season, depending on where Washington falls, drafting a top-tier quarterback might be just the "spark" the organization needs to kickstart the process of getting out of the mediocrity that has plagued them over the last decade.
