Commanders’ Howell has done something no NFL quarterback has ever done through 11 career games – Marca English
If you haven’t looked at the NFL‘s passing yards leaderboard in a while, you might be surprised to see a Washington Commanders quarterback at the top of the list. But that’s where Sam Howell resides after 11 weeks of the 2023 season. And if Howell stays there, he’ll be the first Washington quarterback to lead the league in passing yards since 1969.
Unlikely as it may have been before the season, Howell is solidifying himself as the franchise quarterback Washington has needed for years.. In addition to his place atop the passing yards chart, the 2022 fifth-round pick has put up numbers that no quarterback — not even Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes — has accrued through 11 career games.
Howell making history
According to the Commanders‘ research, Howell‘s performance Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks — in which he completed 29 of 44 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns — put him in rarefied air among NFL quarterbacks. He’s the first one ever to record at least 2,900 passing yards, 200 rushing yards, and a 65 percent completion rate across his first 11 games.
Howell has obviously benefitted from the arrival of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who brought over a pass-heavy offense from Kansas City. Howell has dropped back to pass on 68.7 percent of the Commanders‘ plays this season — the highest rate seen in the NFL since 2013, according to The Athletic.
Unfortunately, some of Howell’s best work has been undone by his porous offensive line. He’s been sacked a league-worst 47 times in 10 games and is on pace to be taken down 80 times — which would break a 21-year-old NFL record set by David Carr of the expansion Houston Texans. Carr was sacked 76 times as a rookie in 2002.
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A future centered on Sam
Even if they miss the playoffs this season (and it is likely they will), the Commanders have seen enough from Howell to where they can feel comfortable building around him for 2024.
Washington last month collected another second-round pick from Chicago in exchange for edge rusher Montez Sweat, then collected an additional third-rounder from San Francisco in the Chase Young trade. The Commanders‘ first-round selection could land in the top-10, giving the franchise a new opportunity to reinforce that inexperienced offensive line with a blue-chip prospect.
With some additional fortification in the trenches — and the right head coach — Howell and the Commanders could see rapid improvement in 2024 and be in a better position to challenge the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
