PHILADELPHIA — In a city famous for a big bell, Commanders quarterback Sam Howell proved he could answer one.
Howell played the worst of his young career last week in a blowout loss to Buffalo, but on Sunday against the Eagles, the Commanders second-year passer showed he can bounce back. He finished the game 29 of 41 for 290 yards with a touchdown and 40 rush yards and reassured Washington fans (and probably coaches, too) that he belongs in the QB1 role.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.
Washington lost the game 34-31 in overtime to an Eagles squad that’s just a bit better and deeper. Still, for the moral victory crowd, Washington definitely scored one.
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It looked like the Commanders effort would come up short, down a touchdown with about 90 seconds remaining in regulation. That was before Howell put together a brilliant 10-play, 64-yard touchdown drive that tied the game as the clock expired. Howell fired to the right side of the end zone and found Jahan Dotson for the score.
In overtime the Eagles proved too much, getting a stop on Washington’s first possession and then grinding enough yardage for a game winning 54-yard field goal.
Prior to that, down a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Howell engineered an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that tied the score at 24 and silenced Lincoln Financial Field. Most impressive on the drive was Howell’s ability to make plays off schedule using both his legs and his arm. Washington went three for three on third down on that tying drive, although that did include a key personal foul penalty on the Eagles.
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The Commanders held a 17-10 lead at halftime and played some of their most sound football. Ron Rivera’s team controlled the clock in the first half, possessing the ball for more than 17 minutes and held the Eagles to just 27 yards rushing. Washington’s beleaguered offensive line gave Howell enough time to operate, allowing just two sacks in the opening half.
The football gods shined on Washington, too.
Running backs Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson fumbled the ball, although both stayed with Washington. Robinson fumbled at the goal line and the ball bounced to Terry McLaurin for a touchdown. Gibson fumbled a toss but the ball bounced straight down and back to him, like he was dribbling a basketball. Defensively, cracks started to appear for Washington’s secondary, but the defensive line applied enough pressure to keep Philly QB Jalen Hurts from getting much downfield.
Eventually, the good luck ran out.
When Hurts connected with wide receiver A.J. Brown on a 59-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, it felt almost inevitable. The ensuing two-point conversion gave the Eagles a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Nick Sirianni’s Eagles team then leaned on their lethal run game to choke out Washington’s hopes of winning.
Still, a loss to the Eagles is not the end of the world for a Washington team with Wild Card aspirations.
Perhaps more importantly is Washington finally finding its quarterback. After just five starts, it’s still premature to say definitively Howell is it, but damn, he looks the part.
Every quarterback has bad games. Every quarterback throws interceptions. Check the stats. They’ve all had bad games. What makes a great one, or even just a good one, is the ability to turn the page.
Howell has now proven that ability, and with it, nobody knows what might happen next.
