It’s doable there are simply 4 video games left in Ron Rivera’s tenure in Washington, the product of latest possession taking up and one other lackluster season for the beleaguered franchise.
Josh Harris and his group that features Magic Johnson will get to form the group’s soccer operations as soon as this misplaced season is over, leaving not a lot for the Commanders (4-9) to achieve from the ultimate 4 video games.
Except for quarterback Sam Howell. This ultimate stretch is a referendum on the second-year professional, who has the prospect to point out he deserves to be in consideration to begin subsequent season, and, by extension, it’s a possibility for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to show he must be an NFL head coach.
Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick of North Carolina who slipped within the draft due to issues about his measurement and a tough ultimate school season, has proven flashes of brilliance as Rivera and Bieniemy have gone all-in on throwing the ball to make him the focus of the offense. He additionally leads the league with 14 interceptions and has been sacked greater than anybody else coming into Week 14.
“Everyone knows the business we’re in, and at the end of the day, if you’re not doing your job, things will happen,” Howell mentioned lately. “But us players, coaches, I don’t think anyone’s really worried about it. We’re just trying to do everything we can on a daily basis, and the results are the results. We try to do everything we can in our power to control what we can control and make sure we come in here each and every day and put our all into this.”
Entering Week 14, nobody has thrown extra passes this season than Howell, who has accomplished 335 of these 509 makes an attempt and been sacked 58 occasions. He has thrown a pick-6 in three consecutive video games.
Bieniemy and Rivera, who made the choice following final season at hand the reins to Howell, have praised the 23-year-old QB for rising and studying from errors.
“I know sometimes things look bad, but the thing that he does: He makes sure that he corrects the mistakes that he’s making,” Bieniemy mentioned.
“The kid, he’s doing a heck of a job. He’s competing, he’s finding ways to make plays, but on top of that, he’s taking coaching. He’s fine-tuning all the little detailed things that’s helping him to become a better football player, and we just hope that he continues to grow with that arrow moving in the right direction.”
Marked enchancment by Howell would additionally assist Bieniemy, who joined Washington partially to work for a defensive coach and showcase himself exterior the large Kansas City shadows of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, who referred to as the performs when Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator and the Chiefs received the Super Bowl twice.
Howell has labored intently with Bieniemy going again to offseason exercises and believes the play-calling has improved alongside the way in which.
“He’s starting to get a really good feel for how to be successful with the talent that we have here,” Howell mentioned. “(As players) we’ve got to execute better in certain situations, but I think he’s doing a really good job. He’s grown as a leader, as an OC throughout the season, as he’s done probably his whole career.”
The numbers are a blended bag. Washington’s offense is decidedly center of the pack offensively, twelfth in passing and twenty second in scoring.
If that’s sufficient for Bieniemy to get a head teaching job stays to be seen. He already interviewed for a head job with many groups, together with the New York Jets twice, and figures to be a candidate once more subsequent 12 months.
Howell’s future isn’t essentially tied to Bieniemy, however the continuity could be case for him being the man in 2024.
Otherwise, Washington would have an eighth completely different Week 1 beginning QB in as a few years.
Defensive sort out Jonathan Allen, who this week on radio mentioned he’d favor to not undergo one other rebuild, believes Howell is the longer term — whether or not he’s a part of it or not.
“I feel like we found our quarterback for the next 5-10 years, and I truly believe that,” Allen mentioned after the Commanders’ most up-to-date victory, Nov. 5 at New England. “I’ve seen a lot of great quarterbacks in my time, played against a lot of them, and feel he has the potential to be one of them.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
