Sam Howell is the opponent to watch. The Commanders are settling in.
Sam Howell, the Washington Commanders’ starting quarterback, visits the Giants this weekend.
The New York Giants will face a new opponent in the backfield when they face the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
In an NFC East division where the other three teams haven’t had as much quarterback churn, the Commanders began the 2023 season with their sixth different starting quarterback in the previous ten years. After attempting to establish long-term legitimacy with players such as Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, and Taylor Heinicke, second-year player Sam Howell is the next prospect attempting to establish himself as the primary man for the future.
Howell, a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina in 2022, comes from a program that named him starter before his freshman season in 2019 and rode him to a 21-17 record under center before declaring for the NFL Draft in 2021. The 23-year-old has three consecutive 3,000-yard seasons, nearly 100 career touchdowns, and a completion rate of 63.8% in 37 career starts.
In addition to his passing ability, Howell oversaw one of the most effective ACC offenses throughout his three seasons. According to various polls, he averaged at least one touchdown every game, propelling the program to the fifth spot in the country. By the time he finished, he had accumulated over 10,200 yards, set multiple FBS and school records, and been selected an All-ACC player twice.
Howell was a regular on the Commanders’ bench last season, learning behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke for the majority of his rookie season. He finally got his chance to play in Week 18 as the team’s postseason prospects were fading, and he guided the squad to a 26-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. In the win, he made a terrific first impression on Ron Rivera and the coaching staff with 11 completions for 169 yards and two total touchdowns.
It made such an impression that when Carson Wentz was released this summer and Taylor Heinicke left as a free agent, Washington decided to go forward with Howell and see if he’s ready for the next level. So far, the bet has paid off, as the Commanders are 3-3 overall, thanks to their quarterback’s 145 completions for 1,500 yards (7.0 average), nine touchdowns, and six interceptions, and are in the middle of the NFC Wild Card fight.
Howell presently ranks ninth in the league’s passing leaderboards, ranking second among first and second-year players at his position. His efforts have helped the Commanders offensive rank in the top 20 in practically every major passing category, including first downs and attempts, and passing touchdowns, which rank 10th and 12th, respectively. He also has some acceptable legs, as he is second on the team in rushing with 104 yards and a touchdown.
While Howell has been regarded to be a fairly clean pocket passer and game manager since his days at Chapel Hill, the aspect of his game that gets him in problems versus NFL competition is his proclivity to hold onto the ball for too long. The sophomore has benefited from a somewhat solid offensive line, which ranks 17th in pass block win rate and allows the quarterback to throw in an average of 2.92 seconds on his 265 total dropbacks this season.
Simultaneously, Howell is given the opportunity to keep his eyes downfield on his receivers’ routes and choose the best target to launch the pigskin an average of 8.2 yards every throw. However, as the game progresses and he faces a rotation of different defensive looks and pressures, he becomes susceptible to second-guessing his reads, resulting in those pressures getting to him, blowing up the play, or forcing a scramble from the pocket or an ill-timed throw that could lead to a devastating turnover.
According to PFF, Howell has an astounding 2.8% turnover-worthy play rate and a big-time throw rate of 4.8% in the last six weeks, with 11 passes. He has faced 101 total pressures, resulting in 34 total sacks, a pressure-to-sack percentage of 33.7%, and 16 scrambles. All of this stems from his indecisiveness in the pocket, which is a major contributor to his six interceptions, which are tied for second-most among starting quarterbacks in 2023.
These numbers present an excellent opportunity for the Giants’ defense to build on their success against the pass in Buffalo by pressuring Howell into a few costly errors that hamper the Washington offense. Entering Week 7, Big Blue ranked fourth in opposition passing attempts, 16th in yards, 14th in touchdowns, and 22nd in interceptions forced.
They’ve also improved their ability to limit opposing drives, keep teams out of the endzone, and have increased their opposing turnover rate to 23rd best in the last two weeks, with five total turnovers. It might be another feast like the one Buffalo witnessed against Howell in Week 3 when they forced four interceptions from the burgeoning gunslinger, especially given that the Giants’ defense blitzes at some of the highest rates per game under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
It’s a crucial game for the Giants as they try to right the ship and keep the rest of the season from becoming a complete disaster. With the offense continuing to struggle to put points on the board, they’ll need all the help they can get from their defense once more, and this time it’ll be against Howell, a more average quarterback than the names they’ve seen in recent games and duels with the Washington Commanders.
