The Washington Commanders benched quarterback Sam Howell in each of the last two weeks. Jacoby Brissett replaced Howell in the second half of Washington’s games against the Rams and Jets, rallying the Commanders in both games.
Head coach Ron Rivera said the team was more or less giving Howell a break. The second-year quarterback has been sacked 60 times this season and hit 112 times.
On Wednesday, Rivera announced that Brissett would start in Washington’s Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Rivera spoke extensively on Howell’s recent struggles.
What did offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy think of the move to go to Brissett this late in the season?
“Obviously, we thought it’d be good for Sam to hit the reset button, but also understand that Jacoby has earned a right to be placed in this position so he can go out there and earn the right to play,” Bieniemy said Thursday. “But when it’s all said and done with, we just wanted to do what was best for the team moving forward.”
That aligns with what Rivera said. The timing of the quarterback change is interesting for different reasons. Rivera had seemingly dedicated the season to Howell’s development and decided in Week 17 he’d seen enough.
Why?
Bieniemy noted that Howell hadn’t played well, and there wasn’t any single reason for his recent struggles.
“He just didn’t play well,” Bieniemy said of Howell. “And unfortunately, you know, that happens, and it’s not like anything that you can put your finger on. But on the flip side of that, Jacoby steps in, and he sparks a rally.”
It’s concerning when the offensive coordinator can’t pinpoint why Howell has struggled. It could be that Bieniemy just isn’t saying much to the media to protect Howell. For instance, if this is about Howell missing things on the field, why would he admit this in a press conference?
Howell is going through the typical struggles of a young quarterback. While it’s easy to assume that Rivera is just turning to Brissett to steal a win or two late in the season, it’s also true that Howell struggled badly in the past two weeks. Sometimes, it is about protecting a young player when it’s clear they aren’t giving the team a chance to win.
Before you say, “That’s good, the team needs to lose to preserve a high pick in the NFL draft.” Remember, these coaches and players don’t care about next year’s draft. They’re all fighting for their jobs, here or elsewhere.
Bieniemy did praise Howell on Thursday, noting he’d “done a number of great things” this season.
Of course, this story may not be over. On Friday, Brissett was added to Washington’s final injury report with a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
How fitting would it be that Rivera had to turn back to Howell in Week 17 after benching him?