Grant Paulsen thought that Eric Bieniemy had his best half as the Commanders' offensive coordinator in the first half of Sunday's eventual loss to the Eagles, and when Jay Gruden joined him as he does every Monday, Coach agreed.
"Yeah, that's what it looks like. Early on he didn't ask Sam to do a whole lot, three or four quick screens to the receivers a little one-step to Terry McLaurin to get his confidence going, and he did that early on," Gruden said. "Slowly as the game went on, he started to challenge Sam a little bit more with some more dropbacks, and Sam responded with a big day. And, the offensive line had their best outing for sure."
That last point made Grant ask: what took the Commanders eight weeks to figure out to make an adjustment in the scheme and on that O-line, which saw Tyler Larsen take over at center and Chris Paul finally active at guard?
"I don't know; each game plan is different. Some teams you think you can block them up and heave it downfield and take more shots, while some games, you think you're gonna be more conservative," Gruden said. "I think after the Giants game, and seeing all the sacks Sam has taken, I think they came out and thought to get the ball out of his hands early and let playmakers make some plays. They were able to keep the team on the field and convert some third downs, so they had more opportunities."
Credit that to both Sam and the line?
"They held up well, especially against that interior of the Philadelphia Eagles. I thought that would be a major problem in the game, and the four-man rush would give them some problems," Gruden said. "But, Sam looked like he could take his drop and set his feet, and deliver the ball without being under duress, and that's critical for any quarterback, especially a young quarterback."
So is this progress, or a flash in the pan, and does it change the perception of Howell as a franchise QB?
"He really did (look like a franchise QB), and I think he's had two good games against Philadelphia, which is pretty impressive for a young quarterback," Gruden said. "Next week will be another challenge against Bill Belichick, we'll see how it goes."
Take a listen to Gruden's entire segment, which also included thoughts on some other offensive no-shows finally having big days, what may lie ahead of the trade deadline (which we've now seen pass), Ron Rivera not challenging the fourth-down catch, and more!
