We know Sam Howell is now the starter, so we all know what we already knew, but now it’s time to ask the question: what steps do the Commanders need to take to be able to develop a passer like Sam Howell?
“The coach, keep it in house,” Brian Mitchell blurted out before a scheduled break Friday, as JP Finlay was trying to tease the segment. “He’s not just helping Sam Howell, he’s helping everyone.
Said coach is Eric Bieniemy, whom even defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio praised for his pace because it helps the defense, too – and it’s showing, because JP read a Tweet from CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco saying “Sam Howell will play well and Washington is a sleeper team in the NFC.”
“When people ask me, I tell them if the offensive line plays better than people are thinking, they are going to shock people,” BMitch said. “I understand that people aren’t game planning against them, but the mere fact that most defenses have their dominant tackle on the right side, they can run away from them. I believe their skill positions are as good as any in the league, and they’ll cause some issues. So if the line surprises us, the league will be saying uh-oh.”
JP Finlay agreed, looking back at last year’s Carson Wentz drama.
“This time last year, everyone was worried because Carson Wentz looked bad over and over, but that is not the feeling this year,” JP said. “But, I recognize the reasons for skepticism with Howell, being a fifth-round pick.”
“But Sam only played one game – Carson had a fantastic year (in 2021) and then he didn’t have it again,” BMitch replied. “He was more up and down, and at that point, all the opinions about him, most came from players who played with him, and everyone wanted to dismiss that. You can dismiss fans or the media, but when players talk about your leadership qualities…if you’re a QB, the most dependent position in sports, if you don’t relate to people, you won’t have a lot of success.”
Take a listen to JP and Brian’s entire convo above, starting about 18 minutes into the clip!
Follow BMitch & Finlay on Twitter: @BMitchlive30, @JPFinlayNBCS, and @BMitchandFinlay
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