Let me preface this by saying that my eye sees that this team has essentially quit playing since the 29-26 loss to Seattle.
That game really marked the end point of the season as any thoughts of the playoffs or finishing well enough to stave off massive changes on the roster were over.
What you have seen since then is some bad losses against good teams.
In part management had communicated that lack of confidence in the team earlier in the season with the trades of Sweat and Young.
There was no point in investing any real money in a team that was flawed and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.
So, back to Howell. Do I know he is the answer at quarterback that will lead to Super Bowls in the future? No.
Do I know that he is a starting caliber quarterback who with a good team around him like Purdy has in SF could make a bigger splash than in DC?
I think so.
When I hear the guys on WFAN talk about the record and the interceptions by Howell, these circumstances all go back to the nature of the team.
Younger quarterbacks make mistakes. Whether they are top picks or middle rounders. There is no immunity to being around a bad team.
Washington has the worst defense in the NFL. Yesterday, they gave up 78 and 60 yard touchdowns to Tyreek Hill and the score was 31-7 at halftime.
Critics can tease out the pick six 7 points but the reality is the defense gave up 38 points and again this team was uncompetitive on that side of the ball going into the half.
Miami could have scored more points in the second half but it was apparent the game was over and they merely dotted the 'I's and crossed the 'T's in the fourth quarter, scoring a final TD when Washington's defense simply refused to stop the run all the way down the field.
The way I look at Howell right now is wait and see. Wait and see what a new GM and Coach see in reviews of these games and how he was used, the amount of passing this team did with a bad line and how the scheme did or did not work in a way to make Sam as effective as possible.
I remember Troy Aikman going 0-11 with Dallas, I remember Eli Manning going 2-7 with the Giants in this division as rookies while throwing a host of interceptions.
Both of these players had arm talent and top pedigrees, but both like Sam Howell, were placed on bad teams that had little else at that time to recommend them.
How about Jalen Hurts? He was an OK rookie in 2020. Made plays with his feet and showed a knack for throwing on the run, but he made a lot of mistakes as well.
Jump ahead a couple of years and Howie Roseman assembled perhaps the best overall roster top to bottom in the league and Hurts takes them to the Super Bowl.
Would anyone have anticipated Hurts in a Super Bowl after 2020? A lot of people thought Philly might go into the draft and take a quarterback high in Round 1 in the offseason.
Hurts definitely improved his play through hard work, etc. but the buildout of the wide receiver corps with Devonta Smith and AJ Brown were key factors as was the assembly of a defense that topped the league in sacks and takeaways.
And those takeaways? Boy, do they help pad a quarterbacks stats. Quarterbacks throw a lot more TDs and fewer INTs when they are getting the ball and having to go 20-30 yards for a TD instead of 70-80 consistently.
Short note to Daron Payne: You can go ahead and show you are really a top 5 defensive tackle in the NFL by taking on the double teams and beating it once in awhile like Aaron Donald and Chris Jones do
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