“This is about Sam’s continued development,” Rivera said Wednesday. “Things haven’t gone as well as we’d like for the last few weeks, so it’s a good opportunity for him to watch. I think Jacoby, being the professional that he is and really playing the way he has, it’s really going to give … Sam an opportunity to see some things and see how the offense goes. I think it’ll help.”
The decision was made Tuesday, after Rivera consulted with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard. Rivera informed Howell and Brissett early Wednesday before the team’s practice.
“It was a good conversation,” Rivera said of his talk with Howell. “He’s competitive. He wants to play. But I told him that I just felt this was a good situation for him to take a breath.”
Brissett will be the ninth quarterback to start a game for Washington since 2020. Three times in that span, the team has made a quarterback switch in Week 17.
After impressing earlier in the season, Howell struggled during Washington’s six-game losing streak. As the offense faltered and the team fell behind early in games, Howell started pressing, often searching for big plays and leaving himself vulnerable to mistakes opposing defenses could exploit. Eight of his 17 interceptions this season came in the past five games.
In Week 15 against the Rams, Washington benched Howell in the fourth quarter after he threw a pick. He completed 42.3 percent of his passes for 102 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 50.5 passer rating in the loss. On Sunday against the Jets, the Commanders trailed by 20 points when Howell threw his second interception of the game in the third quarter and Brissett again replaced him. Howell finished with a 27.3 completion percentage, 56 passing yards and a 1.7 passer rating.
Brissett rallied the offense in both games and nearly led Washington to a victory at MetLife Stadium, but a last-minute field goal spoiled Washington’s hopes. Rivera said after the loss that he’d decided to go with Brissett because of his experience.
Brissett signed a one-year deal in March to be the Commanders’ backup, and his efficiency and production the past two weeks stood in stark contrast to Howell’s operation of the offense — so much so that it may have made the decision for Rivera.
Rivera, however, said the switch was about Howell’s “continued development.”
“We’re all culpable in this situation, too,” Rivera said. “This is not an indictment [of] Sam. … I really do think this guy can be a really good quarterback in this league. I really do.”
Rivera said he believes the excessive hits Howell absorbed (112 total, including 60 sacks) and his playing time may have factored into his decline. Only eight starting quarterbacks have played more snaps than Howell has so far this season, and he has played more (925 offensive snaps) than any other quarterback in his first year as a full-time starter. Rivera said he regularly checked in with the quarterback throughout the year to gauge his confidence.
“He’s such a positive-minded, strong-willed young man that he seemed to handle those situations pretty good,” Rivera said. “Maybe this is just me wanting to take care of him and make sure he does get a chance to just reflect.”
Regular season starts (2020-23) |
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The Commanders were eliminated from the playoff race after their loss to the Rams, but the season’s final two games still carry weight. Washington is third in the 2024 draft order, and losses to the 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys over the next two weeks would tighten Washington’s grip on a top-three pick. Wins could make it harder to land one of the draft’s top quarterbacks, should the Commanders go that route to find their next starter.
Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick, spent most of his rookie season learning behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke before getting his first career start in a Week 18 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Rivera moved forward with him as the 2023 starter in part because of the roster flexibility his rookie contract afforded the team. But Howell’s limited experience was compounded by the challenge of transitioning to a new offense, a new play caller and new faces on the offensive line. Washington’s offense, led by new coordinator Eric Bieniemy, has been the most pass-heavy in the NFL at 38.7 attempts per game.
In the first eight weeks of the season, Howell completed 66.9 percent of his passes for an average of 268.3 yards. He threw for touchdowns on 4.2 percent of his passes and had a touchdown-to-interception rate of 1.6. In the seven games since, Howell hit on just 58.6 percent of his passes for an average of 230.4 yards. He has thrown for touchdowns on 2.4 percent of his attempts and has logged a 0.7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
In relief of Howell, Brissett has averaged a 78.3 completion percentage and has thrown three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. His passer rating is 146.8.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, like Rivera, credited the difference to Brissett’s experience.
“He reminds me a little bit of [Ryan Fitzpatrick] in that they’re vets,” McLaurin said after the loss at Los Angeles, in which he had a career-high 141 receiving yards. “… They know what it looks like. Football is still going to be football no matter what scheme you’re in. So he understands leverages, he understands where he needs to release the ball. He put some great air under the ball for us receivers to track the ball.”
Brissett, an eight-year veteran, has started the majority of three seasons in the NFL — two with the Indianapolis Colts and last season with the Cleveland Browns. The Commanders signed him for his ability and his reputation as a solid teammate.
Following Sunday’s loss, Brissett said he had told Howell “this is going to be the hardest part of your career right now, and it’s going to feel like, man, that you’re in it by yourself and it’s snowballing.” He added: “But I know from being in this league, man, the good ones find a way to get to the other side. No matter how long it takes, how hard it is, you surround yourself with good people. I hope he leans on me as one of those good people to help him get through this, because I know I will.”
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