Sam Howell Benched Again Leading To A Jacoby Brissett Rally, All Of Which Looks Bad For Ron Rivera
This lost season for the Washington Commanders will be full of regret and there is no more obvious illustration of that than what has happened with quarterback Sam Howell the past two weeks.
Howell was benched in-game Sunday as the Commanders were losing to the New York Jets. It was the second consecutive week Howell was benched.
And this one was clearly warranted because Howell had thrown two interceptions.
He'd completed only 6 of 22 passes.
And his quarterback rating was 1.7 when he left the game. (That is not a typo).
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 24: Sam Howell #14 of the Washington Commanders throws a pass during the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Brissett Replaces Howell And Commanders Rally
Howell was replaced by Jacoby Brissett, the backup quarterback, who immediately rallied the Commanders to a touchdown. And another touchdown. Then another.
And, no, the Commanders didn't win because the defense gave up a game-winning field goal late to give the Jets a 30-28 victory.
But, hey, nice work by Jacoby Brissett!
And now we come to the part where the lost season comes into play.
The Commanders started this season fully committed to Howell as their starter. They saw something -- or thought they did -- at the end of the 2022 season and wanted to develop that.
And their reward for that faith, trust and confidence in the 2022 fifth-round draft pick is Howell has wilted late this season. Instead of getting better, he's gotten worse.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 24: Sam Howell #14 of the Washington Commanders looks to pass the ball during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Commanders Watched Sam Howell Regress
He has two consecutive games in which he's completed under 50% of his passes and three consecutive in which he's under 55%, which still isn't very good in today's NFL.
He has thrown eight interceptions in the last five games.
Howell has regressed.
And so what did the Commanders accomplish by locking in on Howell?
The answer is not one anyone within the organization will want to hear when all is said and done. Because ultimately that answer will get people fired.
Coach Ron Rivera will be fired after this season is over. That is not yet definitive, but NFL sources have been expecting it for weeks as the Commanders have lost six consecutive games.
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders talks with referee Bill Vinovich #52 prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Ron Rivera Trusted Howell Why?
And when owner Josh Harris evaluates his coach's work at season's end the question that may stand out above many others is why Rivera stuck with Howell for so long? Especially late in the season when the club and Howell wilted?
And Rivera won't have an acceptable answer because Sunday's game will glow as proof he made a horrible mistake.
Against the Jets, Rivera made the switch to Brissett late in the third quarter. The Commanders trailed, 27-7.
And within a couple of possessions with Brissett at quarterback, the Commanders were back in the game after scoring consecutive touchdowns.
Brissett completed 10 of 13 passes in authoring the rally. He threw a TD pass, which is as many as Howell has thrown since Nov. 23.
The Washington offense looked and felt completely different. And it wasn't a fluke. The Commanders scored two touchdowns against the Rams the week before when Brissett took over for Howell. He turned that game from a blowout to one that was competitive late
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 17: Jacoby Brissett #12 of the Washington Commanders signals during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Evaluation Of Ron Rivera Will Be Hard
So what might have happened this year if Rivera, who sees these guys in practice every day and is paid to know his players better than anyone, had gone to Brissett weeks ago? If Brissett could look this good without practice, might he have been good enough to save the season given some practice?
These are questions Harris could rightly ask his coach. And there are others:
'Why did you go back to Howell against the Jets when you saw what Brissett could do?'
'And after seeing it wasn't working with Howell in the first half, what took you so long to go to Brissett again?'
Howell, only 23, has had some moments of clarity this season. But he's been mostly just solid. Nothing that suggests he's consistently outstanding.
So why did Rivera, who has fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators in the past year, freeze with his second-year QB?
The argument that the Commanders wanted to see what Howell could offer so as to have an evaluation for next season doesn't fly. Because everyone is aware they were playing and coaching for their jobs this year.
And now we're getting answers, which neither Ron Rivera nor Sam Howell may like.