You wouldn’t know it at times, but Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has grown increasingly frustrated from another losing season.
After a loss to the Miami Dolphins, McLaurin uncharacteristically responded that he was running “a lot of cardio” after being held with no catches. It wasn’t as if McLaurin was struggling; he wasn’t getting opportunities.
McLaurin, the ultimate team leader, always says the right things, regardless of how frustrated he is with Washington’s overall struggles or his not getting the ball enough.
The Commanders lost again on Sunday, dropping to 4-10 after a 28-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Washington sat Howell midway through the fourth quarter and replaced him with veteran Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett led Washington on two scoring drives, finding McLaurin three times for 93 yards, including a touchdown, and one yard shy of a second touchdown. He would finish with six receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. It was a career-high in yards for McLaurin, who has played with 11 quarterbacks in five seasons.
“Football is football no matter what scheme you’re in, so he understands leverages, he understands where he needs to release the ball,” McLaurin said of Brissett via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “I think with myself being a vet, him being a vet, we just have one of those connections where he feels like he’s comfortable with where I’m going to be, and I know how he’s going to place the ball up in the air.”
Despite McLaurin’s praise for the veteran Brissett, he remains confident and supportive of Howell.
No QB debate here; Howell will start next week as Ron Rivera said.
“We have the utmost confidence in him,” Terry McLaurin said. “We’ve got to continue to support him, make the tough plays like we did at the end and make his job easier.
“We still wholeheartedly believe in Sam.”— John Keim (@john_keim) December 18, 2023
McLaurin is correct on all fronts. The offense hasn’t helped Howell. Sure, Howell has made his share of mistakes, too, which is expected from a young quarterback. But Washington’s receivers have had issues with drops and creating separation. While we’re uncertain if the lack of separation is due to the players or the offensive scheme, it has been an issue at times.
McLaurin seemed rejuvenated after finally getting the ball on Sunday. Over Washington’s final three games, Howell and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy must continue to find ways to get the ball in McLaurin’s hands more. If you’re Howell, who is being evaluated for 2024, putting the ball in your best player’s hands seems like a wise choice.