Sam Howell

Howell's impressive debut ultimately begs the question: Did coaches whiff on their evaluation of Howell throughout this season?

After Howell’s performance against the Cowboys, I think he made a strong case that, at the very least, he should be competing for the starting quarterback position in 2023. And don’t want to put Sam in a situation like that this early in his career, you know, we feel he is a young man that as he grows and develops, he’s got a chance.” Rivera also spoke about Howell’s progression, “I think Sam is still learning in terms of what we do and how we do it and how we do it is, you know, that’s the part that you’ve gotta get familiar with there,” Rivera said. Or maybe Howell was a victim of circumstance and is better than the other two quarterbacks on the roster, buried behind two veterans that had no business playing over him. “We like what we’ve got in terms of the skill sets and in terms of our playmakers, you know, guys that we believe we can get the ball to. “How we go through the progressions, stuff like that, is all about learning and understanding and feeling in terms of knowing what to do in the offense itself.” Last week, Rivera stated that Howell’s footwork and decision-making hindered his ability to quickly get the ball out of his hands and in rhythm.

The Washington Commanders didn't have an explosive day throwing the football in their 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday. Still, wide receivers Terry ...

The Washington Commanders ended its season with a resounding win over the Dallas Cowboys as Sam Howell registered his first NFL start...and also his first ...

[Washington Commanders](https://www.si.com/nfl/team/washington-football)? [Click Here](https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/). He also rushed for 35 yards and a touchdown on five carries. "A lot of ups and downs, Dotson said. Dotson added: "He had a great start, really proud of him. "He did a good job, super proud of him to come out 1-0 in his first start," Dotson said.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell impressed in his NFL debut on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, completing 11-of-19 passes for 169 yards and ...

He holds program records for passing yards (10,283), passing touchdowns (92), total offense (11,292 yards), and total touchdowns accounted for (111). In his third season at UNC in 2021, the Tar Heels finished with a 6-7 record and a loss to South Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. [Taylor Heinicke](//247sports.com/Player/Taylor-Heinicke-75221), but he throws a better deep ball," Kevin Burkhard said during the game. I think for any young quarterback, that the indication about his mental makeup and if they have the fortitude to make it in the league." He added 94 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Olsen chalked the play up to a rookie mistake and was impressed by how Howell responded on the subsequent possessions. Howell totaled 3,056 total passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns (and nine interceptions), and a 62.5 completion percentage (217-for-347). "The biggest takeaway from today is not the long passes, not the runs, but it's after the bad throw for the interception," Olsen said. The Commanders also have a decision to make about impending free agent The former North Carolina star rushed the ball five times for 35 yards and another score while leading his team to a 26-6 victory. There are a lot of real positives that they can work with." When that ball comes off his hand, it's tight with a lot of velocity.

Sam Howell got his long-awaited opportunity to start for his new NFL team. And his performance bodes well for Washington having a new QB1.

It is a small sample size, but that and his college career should mean that he deserves the chance to start when training camp begins again this summer. Howell looked like his Tar Heel days when he ended a six-play drive by running 9 yards for a TD to give his team a two-touchdown lead. [Play in new window](https://media.blubrry.com/sports_notebook/chapelboroaudio.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2023/01%20-%20January/09/Art%27s%20Notebook%20010923%20-%20FINAL.mp3) FOX was clearly rooting for Howell because the former Redskins had mostly losing records when they have started 27 different quarterbacks since being a consistent playoff team. That did not happen, but by the time their game was decided Howell had made his mark against a very good Dallas defense. And his performance bodes well for Washington having a new QB1 for the 2023 season.