Word broke late in Wednesday’s BMitch & Finlay Show that Sam Howell will be the starting quarterback in Week 18, making it all 17 games for Howell as the starter this year and making him the first QB since Kirk Cousins in 2016 to start every game in a season in Washington.
“I think it’s a little of both,” Ron Rivera said in his Wednesday presser when asked if the decision was based on Howell’s play, Jacoby Brissett’s injury, or a combo. “Sam went out and did the things we were hoping he would be able to do, and again, we want to see him get an opportunity to finish it out.”
He will, but will he finish the game? Earlier in the show, Brian and JP were discussing who would end up getting the nod…and wondered if it even matters at all who it is against a Dallas team who wins a division title with a victory?
“No matter what happened, it was going to be questioned anyway,” BMitch had said before the announcement.
“There’s plenty of reasons any way, but I think you let this be Sam and ideally let him close the season with some success,” JP replied. “But this is almost certainly Ron’s last game here, and it’s at least 50/50 this is Ron’s last game as an NFL head coach…so does it matter?”
Maybe for Howell, who might be auditioning for a job elsewhere – and maybe even for Jake Fromm, who could play at some point and try to earn a job like Howell did last year in Week 18, albeit in difference circumstances.
And in terms of tanking…
“The higher the pick, the higher the value, undeniably – but there’s no guarantee any of these picks work,” JP said.
“If you have the right people in place picking, you can find talent anywhere in the Draft,” BMitch said. “The value is where they’re picking at, but it doesn’t mean the player will be that valuable if they don’t live up to the hype.”
