<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sam-howell-trade-grades-seahawks-commanders-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sam Howell trade grades for Seahawks-Commanders deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/sam-howell-trade-grades-for-seahawks-commanders-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Sam Howell trade grades for Seahawks-Commanders deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-14T20:44:00-07:00">March 14th, 8:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-14T20:44:38-07:00">March 14th, 8:44pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders finished far apart in the NFC standings, both teams entered the offseason with plenty of work to do after failing to reach the postseason. Another common denominator among the franchises is an uncertain long-term quarterback situation. They made some steps toward potentially ironing out their respective future plans with a trade revolving around QB Sam Howell.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/seahawks-news-seattle-lands-sam-howell-commanders-trade-involving-4-picks" rel="noopener">The deal includes pick swaps</a> from the upcoming NFL Draft, with the Seahawks sending a third-round selection (No. 78) and a fifth-rounder (152) to the Commanders for Howell, a fourth (102) and sixth-rounder (179). Seattle needed to add another quarterback to its roster after Drew Lock signed with the New York Giants in free agency, but fans had another name in mind.</p><p>This move eliminates another possible landing spot for Chicago Bears signal-caller Justin Fields, who is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-justin-fields-reality-bears-struggle-trade" rel="noopener">quickly running out of opportunities</a> to be a starter in 2024. The Seahawks clearly value the collective affordability and upside of Howell a bit more than the former Ohio State star. He will slot in at No. 2 behind Geno Smith but could realistically climb the depth chart in the next couple of years.</p><p>From Washington’s standpoint, the organization is clearing the way for whom it hopes is the face of the franchise for a decade-plus. The No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft will not have to worry about another young QB competing with him in training camp, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-add-marcus-mariota-ahead-nfl-draft-qb-selection" rel="noopener">new acquisition Marcus Mariota</a> will be expected to serve more of a mentor/transitional role.</p><p>Simply put, both the Seahawks and Commanders had reason to come together for a transaction. But did they do as well as they could have? We will take a closer look at the Sam Howell trade and stamp a grade on each team.</p><h2><b>Grading Seahawks’ Sam Howell trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/QB-Sam-Howell-works-in-the-pocket.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Seattle general manager John Schneider knew he would have to address his quarterback situation going into the offseason, unless of course, he decided to bring back Drew Lock. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/seahawks-news-seahawks-gm-john-schneider-hints-sam-howell-long-term-future-seattle" rel="noopener">Geno Smith faces little opposition</a> for the starting job at this current moment, his inconsistencies and injury issues from last year mean that having a solid backup is essential.</p><p>A guy who led the NFL in passing yards well past the halfway point of the 2023-24 campaign seems to fit that bill. Howell threw for 3,946 passing yards and 21 touchdowns despite Washington finishing near the bottom of the conference with a 4-13 record. The good was balanced out by the bad, though, as he committed a league-worst 23 turnovers (21 interceptions) and completed only 63.4 percent of his pass attempts.</p><p>The natural response to those negative aspects of his game is to point out how poorly the Commanders’ offensive line performed last season. And that is definitely a valid argument to make given that the 2022 fifth-round pick was sacked a staggering 65 times (most in league). But those problems might just carry over onto his new home.</p><p>The Seahawks actually had a worse O-Line than the Commanders, according to Pro Football Focus’ <a href="https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-final-2023-nfl-offensive-line-rankings" rel="noopener">end-of-year rankings</a> and has yet to upgrade the unit this offseason. They boast a wealth of wide receiver talent, but neither Smith nor Howell will be able to take advantage of it with such minimal protection.</p><p>Schneider can mitigate concerns by having a successful showing in April’s draft. If the trenches are eventually solidified, Sam Howell should be given a fair chance to become a viable quarterback. Parting with a third-round selection (still have another) for a 23-year-old who has some promise could be a huge steal.</p><p><b>Seahawks Grade: A-</b></p><h2><b>Commanders’ trade grade</b></h2><p>While Seattle is gambling on the possibility of Howell becoming a part of its big-picture plans, Washington is looking to build around <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-exec-weighs-in-on-drake-maye-vs-jayden-daniels-nfl-draft-debate" rel="noopener">his replacement</a>. Maximizing return value by acquiring the No. 78 pick could give either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels a valuable contributor to lean on going forward.</p><p>With other veteran quarterbacks available, it was plausible to think that the trade market for Howell could shrink into oblivion. But his ability to nearly reach 4,000 passing yards without a high-end support system was enough to reel in the Seahawks. That is not to call John Schneider a sucker. The Seahawks are taking a calculated risk.</p><p>Though, the Commanders should be thrilled to turn a Day 3 draft pick into a Day 2 one. They can snag a starter or key depth piece by deciding to move on from their now-backup QB. New general manager Adam Peters is exhibiting good business sense and quietly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-washington-strengthens-pass-rush-with-bobby-wagner-signing" rel="noopener">positioning the team</a> in an interesting spot for the next few years.</p><p>Obviously, all the praise he is receiving right now will vanish if Sam Howell turns into a franchise pillar with Seattle and Washington’s incoming rookie proves to be a bust. But since we won’t be able to make those determinations for a while, fans should be pleased by this outcome.</p><p>Honestly, supporters of both the Seahawks and Commanders are justified in feeling optimistic following this Thursday afternoon exchange. For now, I am declaring this a win-win that brings clarity to each franchise. It is not a tie, however, as one trade report card edges out the other.</p><p><b>Commanders Grade: A</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sam Howell trade grades for Seahawks-Commanders deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/seahawks-news-seahawks-gm-john-schneider-hints-sam-howell-long-term-future-seattle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks GM John Schneider hints at Sam Howell’s long-term future in Seattle');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Seahawks-news-Seahawks-GM-John-Schneider-hints-at-Sam-Howell_s-long-term-future-in-Seattle.jpg"></figure><h1>Seahawks GM John Schneider hints at Sam Howell’s long-term future in Seattle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-14T17:24:14-07:00">March 14th, 5:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-14T17:24:14-07:00">March 14th, 5:24pm</time><address><a href="https://nextmanupblog.medium.com/">Jay Postrado</a>Jay is a lifelong motorsports and tennis fan. His need for speed may no longer be on the grid or courts but has stayed with him through writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Seahawks quarterback room is already full. With Geno Smith poised to bounce back from a down year, the team raised eyebrows when they signed Sam Howell in NFL Free Agency. While it is not unconditional that a team signs another signal-caller to sharpen their starter, it looks like General Manager John Schneider and Coach Mike Macdonald reeled him in for a different set of reasons.</p><p>John Schneider was asked about the role that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/seahawks-news-seattle-lands-sam-howell-commanders-trade-involving-4-picks" rel="noopener">Sam Howell will take in</a> the Seahawks offense. This prompted the general manager to unveil the reasoning behind their NFL Free Agency move.</p><p>The idea was simple for the Seahawks’ big boss, ‘Geno is the guy and Sam will be backing him up.’Schneider then emphasized that Howell is a year younger than Bo Nix, a 2024 NFL Draft prospect, and that ‘as of right now it’s not like we are signing him to go ahead and compete with Geno to <a href="https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/1768406044836090153" rel="noopener">be the starter</a>, per Wyman and Bob of 710 Seattle Sports.</p><p>Geno Smith is still well into his prime and all Howell could really do from now is learn from him. But, the current Seahawks QB1 does have work to do after falling short of reaching the postseason. His 4,282 passing yards dropped from 2022 to 3,624 passing yards this season. Moreover, his 20 touchdowns did not make up for the nine interceptions that he accumulated.</p><p>There is still a lot to work on for the Seahawks before they get back into title contention.</p><h2><b>What the Seahawks get out of Howell</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Washington-Commanders-quarterback-Sam-Howell-14-drops-back-to-pass-as-Dallas-Cowboys-defensive-tackle-Neville-Gallimore-96.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Two years with the Washington Commanders exposed what Howell needed to work on. He does great things in the passing game which netted him 3,946 yards last season but his 78.9 rating says it all.</p><p>The main thing Smith and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bobby-wagner-sends-farewell-message-seahawks-after-signing-with-commanders" rel="noopener">Seahawks have to help him</a> with is his pass accuracy. For every one of his 22 touchdowns throughout his tenure with the Commanders, Howell recorded an interception. The former North Carolina quarterback should be a sponge in the Seahawks system given all the errors he committed in his first two years. Hopefully, he shows significant signs of improvement after this risky NFL Free Agency move.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks GM John Schneider hints at Sam Howell’s long-term future in Seattle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/seahawks-news-seattle-lands-sam-howell-commanders-trade-involving-4-picks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks land Sam Howell in Commanders trade involving 4 picks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/seahawks-news-seattle-lands-sam-howell-in-commanders-trade-involving-4-picks.jpg"></figure><h1>Seahawks land Sam Howell in Commanders trade involving 4 picks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-14T13:24:00-07:00">March 14th, 1:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-14T13:49:28-07:00">March 14th, 1:49pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California and is now serving as an Associate Editor and Chicago Bulls beat writer at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Quarterback Sam Howell is headed to the Seattle Seahawks as they have agreed to a trade with the Washington Commanders. The Commanders have the #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and they are hoping to land their next franchise QB with that pick. Geno Smith was the starting QB for the Seahawks last season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-drake-maye-gets-real-sam-howell-relationship-potentially-landing-washington" rel="noopener">and Howell will now</a> be competing for that starting job.</p><p>“Another QB trade: Commanders <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1768367496908681689" rel="noopener">are sending last year’s</a> starter Sam Howell to the Seahawks in a pick swap, per sources,” Adam Schefter said in a tweet. “Seahawks receive Howell, a fourth-round pick (No. 102), a sixth (No. 179). Commanders receive a third (No. 78) and a fifth (No. 152).”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-washington-makes-big-sam-howell-decision-cowboys-game" rel="noopener">Sam Howell has been</a> in the NFL for two seasons now after being drafted by the Commanders in 2022. He was the starting QB for the team last season, and now he is starting a new chapter with the Seahawks.</p><p>Howell had an interesting year last season as the starting QB for the Commanders. He finished 388-612 through the air for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. The 21 interceptions is the obvious standout from last season’s stats. Howell has the potential to be a good QB in the NFL, but you can’t have the same amount of interceptions as touchdown passes. It just can’t happen.</p><p>The good news for Howell is that he has only played one season as a starter in the NFL. He is very young, and he is still getting acclimated to the league. There is a lot of time for Howell to grow in the NFL and he could end up being a solid QB in Seattle.</p><p>It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the QB job next year for the Seahawks. Howell will have to clean a lot of things up if he wants to have a chance to be the starter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks land Sam Howell in Commanders trade involving 4 picks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-drake-maye-gets-real-sam-howell-relationship-potentially-landing-washington');   ga('set', 'title', 'Drake Maye gets real on Sam Howell relationship, potentially landing with Commanders');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/commanders-news-drake-maye-gets-real-on-sam-howell-relationship-potentially-landing-with-washington.webp"></figure><h1>Drake Maye gets real on Sam Howell relationship, potentially landing with Commanders</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-27T06:31:09-08:00">February 27th, 6:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-27T06:31:09-08:00">February 27th, 6:31am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>North Carolina football quarterback Drake Maye is one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, and with the Washington Commanders holding the second pick, it is very possible that Maye could be once again be in the same quarterback room as Sam Howell, like they were during their time at North Carolina. Maye <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1762254895791452564" rel="noopener">spoke about</a> what it would be like to reunite with Howell and get drafted <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-exec-weighs-in-on-drake-maye-vs-jayden-daniels-nfl-draft-debate" rel="noopener">by the Commanders</a> in general during an interview with Adam Schefter of ESPN.</p><p>“I think it’s part of it,” Drake Maye said to Adam Schefter of ESPN. “I think you know, I think it’s one of those things where it’s not ideal, but at the same time it’s part of a business. You know we’ve done it in college together, and I think the best thing about it is we’ll help each other, and you know whether the scenario goes, one of my best friends, there’s gonna be no hard feelings. It’s part of it.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">North Carolina QB <a href="https://twitter.com/DrakeMaye2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrakeMaye2</a> is close with his former college teammate Sam Howell, knows Joe Gibbs, and shares what it would be like to land in Washington, as well as Chicago and New England.</p><p>🎧 <a href="https://t.co/qhzWPr4Vw4">https://t.co/qhzWPr4Vw4</a> <a href="https://t.co/rVtbJcTJ0n">pic.twitter.com/rVtbJcTJ0n</a></p><p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1762254895791452564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Maye said that it is not ideal for him to end up in the same quarterback room as Sam Howell <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-sneaky-good-players-commanders-must-take-in-2024-nfl-draft" rel="noopener">with the Commanders</a>. Clearly, Maye does not want to take the starting quarterback job away from Howell. His comments likely have more to do with that, than disliking the Commanders organization.</p><p>With the NFL Scouting Combine set to take place this week, and Maye taking part in all of the drills, unlike Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, it will be interesting to see what the buzz is from a draft standpoint after the combine.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Drake Maye gets real on Sam Howell relationship, potentially landing with Commanders

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-washington-makes-big-sam-howell-decision-cowboys-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders make big Sam Howell decision for Cowboys game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Commanders_news_Washington_makes_big_Sam_Howell_decision_for_Cowboys_game.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders make big Sam Howell decision for Cowboys game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-03T10:48:14-08:00">January 3rd, 10:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-03T11:12:31-08:00">January 3rd, 11:12am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said that Sam Howell <a href="https://twitter.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1742615329090457963" rel="noopener">will start</a> at quarterback on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.</p><p>Sam Howell was benched ahead of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-terry-mclaurin-heartbreaking-take-washington-losing-situation" rel="noopener">Commanders’</a> game against the San Francisco 49ers last week, but Jacoby Brissett’s injury made Howell the starter again. Now, after previously stating that they would not name their starter to prevent the Cowboys from getting a head start on preparation, Ron Rivera confirmed that Sam Howell will start, not Jacoby Brissett.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-ron-rivera-gives-non-answer-sam-howell-jacoby-brissett-week-18-starter" rel="noopener">Commanders</a> are looking to finish out the season strong against the Cowboys on Sunday. Washington is out of the playoff conversation, and there is likely change coming to the organization as soon as Monday after the game. It will be interesting to see what happens following the close of the season. For now, Howell will try to turn in a quality performance to make a statement towards the organization in the offseason. It would be a big game in regards to whether or not he remains the starting quarterback in 2024.</p><p>The outcome of the game could determine that as well, as the Commanders could end up picking as high as second in the NFL Draft this spring, with highly-touted quarterback prospects like Caleb Williams and Drake Maybe potentially being available. A win could take the Commanders out of position to draft one of those two quarterbacks.</p><p>Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Howell fares against a Cowboys team trying to clinch the NFC East with a win this Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders make big Sam Howell decision for Cowboys game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-ron-rivera-gives-non-answer-sam-howell-jacoby-brissett-week-18-starter');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Ron Rivera gives non-answer on Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett as Week 18 starter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Commanders_news_Ron_Rivera_gives_non-answer_on_Sam_Howell_Jacoby_Brissett_as_Week_18_starter.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders’ Ron Rivera gives non-answer on Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett as Week 18 starter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-02T14:08:08-08:00">January 2nd, 2:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-03T10:31:37-08:00">January 3rd, 10:31am</time><address><a>Tim Crean</a>Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoints in 2022. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL, NBA, soccer, sports media, and more. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie, it is a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York and when he’s not enjoying a round of golf he's probably coaching youth soccer or flag football. You can catch all of his sports-related musings on Twitter at @twcrean.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders come to the end of their brutal 2023 NFL season with a home game against <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-news-cowboys-have-chance-to-extend-wild-nfc-east-streak-by-beating-commanders" rel="noopener">the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18</a>. The most intriguing thing about this game may be who starts at quarterback for the Commanders — <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-ron-rivera-speaks-on-benching-sam-howell-for-jacoby-brissett" rel="noopener">Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett</a> — and when asked who it will be, head coach Ron Rivera declined to answer.</p><p>“Ron Rivera declined to say today whether Jacoby Brissett or Sam Howell would start at QB for the Washington Commanders on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano <a href="https://twitter.com/RalphVacchiano/status/1742284515865698766" rel="noopener">reported on Tuesday</a>. “‘We don’t want to give them any head start on anything,’ he said.”</p><p>While Brissett may be the better quarterback and give Ron Rivera and the Commanders the best to win right now, Howell could potentially be the QB of the future, which means he needs as many reps as he can get right now.</p><p>In the end, the Commanders could use a loss in Week 18, while the Cowboys need a win to clinch the NFC East. So, whoever Rivera puts out there will likely take the L when it’s all said and done.</p><h2><b>Why the Commanders need to lose and Cowboys need to win in Week 18</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news__Ron_Rivera_addresses_Week_17_QB1_question_after_benching_Sam_Howell_for_Jacoby_Brissett.webp"></figure><p>The Commanders were out of the playoff and the Cowboys were in well before they face off in Week 18. However, there are two clinching scenarios that could play out on Sunday, with both teams benefitting from the same outcome.</p><p>The Cowboys win the NFC East over the Philadelphia Eagles with a Win in Week 18. This means the team that is so good at home and so average on the road will stay at AT&amp;T Stadium at least up to the NFC Championship Game.</p><p>On the flip side, the Commanders currently own the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft despite matching 4-12 records with the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals. A loss would keep Washington in that spot and guarantee them a shot at one of the top two QB prospects in the draft, USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye.</p><p>That would be huge for the Commanders and their next coach, as Week 18 is almost certainly Ron Rivera’s last game at the helm of the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Ron Rivera gives non-answer on Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett as Week 18 starter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-out-week-17-means-sam-howell-time');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders: Jacoby Brissett out for Week 17, which means it’s Sam Howell time');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/commanders-news-jacoby-brissetts-latest-injury-update-signals-sam-howell-time-in-week-17.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders: Jacoby Brissett out for Week 17, which means it’s Sam Howell time</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-31T08:03:53-08:00">December 31st, 8:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-31T08:13:33-08:00">December 31st, 8:13am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the Washington Commanders rally against the New York Jets in Week 16 came up just short, the team decided to hand the starting quarterback role over to Jacoby Brissett, sending Sam Howell <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-ron-rivera-speaks-on-benching-sam-howell-for-jacoby-brissett" rel="noopener">to the bench</a>. However, midway through the week, Brissett suffered a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-surprise-add-week-17-injury-report-replacing-sam-howell-qb1" rel="noopener">hamstring injury</a> that put his status for the Commanders upcoming game against the San Francisco 49ers up in the air</p><p>Brissett has relieved Howell of his duties in each of Washington’s past two games, and he nearly managed to put together comebacks in both games. Unfortunately, he won’t get a chance to earn the start in Week 17, as Brissett has been <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1741489390608912794">ruled out</a> for the Commanders game against San Fran. With Brissett out, that means it will be Howell getting the nod again after having been benched just a few days ago.</p><p>Via Ian Rapoport:</p><p>“Source: The Commanders will start QB Sam Howell today against the 49ers. Jacoby Brissett (hamstring) is inactive as the third QB after a pre-game workout. Benched just this week, Howell now gets another game to leave a positive impression for 2024. Jake Fromm is the backup.”</p><h2><b>Sam Howell likely to get the start with Jacoby Brissett not expected to play</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/commanders-news-washington-fans-flame-sam-howell-being-benched-for-jacoby-brissett.webp"></figure><p>Talk about a roller coaster of a week for Howell. The second-year passer has gone from seemingly losing his job to Brissett, to suddenly being gifted another start under center because of a strange injury he suffered midway through the week. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, and that’s certainly the case for Howell as he now gears up for a start against a tough Niners defense.</p><p>Brissett tried to see if his hamstring would respond well to his warmups, but it doesn’t look like that happened, and he will now be forced to watch this one from the sidelines. Howell will try to make the most of his opportunity in this game, but against a tough 49ers squad, that is going to be a lot easier said than done.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders: Jacoby Brissett out for Week 17, which means it’s Sam Howell time

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-surprise-add-week-17-injury-report-replacing-sam-howell-qb1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett a surprise add to Week 17 injury report after replacing Sam Howell as QB1');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-a-surprise-add-to-week-17-injury-report-after-replacing-sam-howell-as-qb1.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett a surprise add to Week 17 injury report after replacing Sam Howell as QB1</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-29T10:45:14-08:00">December 29th, 10:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-29T10:45:14-08:00">December 29th, 10:45am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders finally decided to turn the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-jacoby-brissett-will-start-week-17-over-sam-howell-after-heroics-vs-jets" rel="noopener">starting quarterback gig</a> over to Jacoby Brissett for the final two games of the season after he came off the bench to replace Sam Howell and nearly led the Commanders to victory for the second straight week. However, a sudden injury update could force Howell under center once again in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers.</p><p>Brissett has been brought off the bench for mop up duty against the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets, and almost pulled off some massive comebacks in games that were not close when he took over. The problem is that Brissett has picked up a <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1740800447626318256" rel="noopener">hamstring injury</a> ahead of this game, throwing his status for the contest in doubt, while also meaning Howell could draw the start just days after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-ron-rivera-speaks-on-benching-sam-howell-for-jacoby-brissett" rel="noopener">getting benched</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Coach Ron Rivera said Jacoby Brissett actually reported the hamstring injury after meetings yesterday and got treatment last night and today. <a href="https://t.co/WnvQflbdBC">https://t.co/WnvQflbdBC</a></p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1740800447626318256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Commanders could be forced to turn to Sam Howell if Jacoby Brissett can’t play</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/commanders-news-washington-fans-flame-sam-howell-being-benched-for-jacoby-brissett.webp"></figure><p>Brissett looked great against both the Rams (8/10, 124 YDS, 2 TD) and Jets (10/13. 100 YDS, 1 TD), and it’s clear to everyone that he offers the Commanders a better chance of winning games down the stretch of the season. But Washington has been put in a sticky situation by potentially being forced to turn the ball over to the guy in Howell that they just sent to the bench because of this injury.</p><p>The good news is that Brissett still has time to recover before the game, but if he isn’t fully healthy, there’s really no sense in forcing him to play a meaningless game against the 49ers. This is a pretty unexpected storyline, though, and it’s one that bears watching as the Commanders continue to gear up for their Week 17 action.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett a surprise add to Week 17 injury report after replacing Sam Howell as QB1

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-sam-howells-benching-draws-eye-opening-take-from-eric-bieniemy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders: Sam Howell’s benching draws eye-opening take from Eric Bieniemy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news_Sam_Howell_s_benching_draws_eye-opening_take_from_Eric_Bieniemy.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders: Sam Howell’s benching draws eye-opening take from Eric Bieniemy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-28T09:57:42-08:00">December 28th, 9:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-28T09:57:42-08:00">December 28th, 9:57am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sam Howell has been benched for Jacoby Brissett after struggling in recent games for the Washington Commanders, and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had an <a href="https://twitter.com/JPFinlayNBCS/status/1740420844336120056" rel="noopener">interesting take</a> on recent developments and why Howell struggled.</p><p>“He just didn’t play well, and unfortunately that happens,” Eric Bieniemy said, via JP Finlay of NBC Sports. “It’s not like anything you can put your finger on.”</p><p>Sam Howell’s struggled led to Jacoby Brissett coming into the games against the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Jets. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-commanders-a-team-to-watch-for-caleb-williams" rel="noopener">Commanders</a> got back into the games against the Rams and Jets, and even had a one-point lead against New York, before losing on a late field goal.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if Brissett can continue his strong this week, and it will be a tough task against the San Francisco 49ers. It will be a step up in competition for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-chris-rodriguez-jr-injured-reserve-after-jets" rel="noopener">Commanders</a>, who are well out of the playoff race, but trying to finish the 2023 season on a high note.</p><p>The Commanders were hoping that Howell would prove to be the quarterback of the future this season, but so far that has not shown to be the case, despite the fact that he showed some flashes at times.</p><p>There seem to be a lot of changes coming to the Commanders this offseason, so it will be interesting to see what happens with Howell with what might be a new front office and coaching staff. For now, the Commanders will look to pull an upset or two in the last two games of the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders: Sam Howell’s benching draws eye-opening take from Eric Bieniemy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-ron-rivera-speaks-on-benching-sam-howell-for-jacoby-brissett');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Ron Rivera speaks on benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news_Ron_Rivera_breaks_silence_on_benching_Sam_Howell_for_Jacoby_Brissett.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders’ Ron Rivera speaks on benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-27T12:15:46-08:00">December 27th, 12:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-27T12:15:46-08:00">December 27th, 12:15pm</time><address><a>Eva Geitheim</a>Eva started as an Associate Editor for Clutch Points in 2023 after recently graduating from UCLA. She has previously written for Lineups.com and is a big fan of all Bay Area sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While trailing 27-7 to the New York Jets in the third quarter, Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera benched Sam Howell <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-powerful-message-sam-howell-benching" rel="noopener">in favor of</a> Jacoby Brissett.</p><p>Howell was completing just 27% of his passes as he went 6-22 for 56 yards and two interceptions. The second-year quarterback started off the year solidly, but has increasingly struggled over the past few weeks as the Commanders lost five straight. They sustained their sixth consecutive loss versus the Jets, but showed a lot more fight when Brissett took over.</p><p>Brissett went 10-13 for 100 yards and a touchdown as he helped the Commanders take a 28-27 lead in the fourth quarter. The Jets ended up scoring a game-winning field goal, but the Commanders were competitive again with Brissett. Brissett also came off the bench the week before versus the Los Angeles Rams, when he threw two fourth quarter touchdowns to bring Washington within one score of the Rams.</p><p>Since, the Commanders have announced that Brissett <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-jacoby-brissett-will-start-week-17-over-sam-howell-after-heroics-vs-jets" rel="noopener">will be the starter</a> in Week 17 over Howell. Ron Rivera explained the decision Tuesday.</p><p>“Thing hadn’t gone as well for <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/commanders-qb-jacoby-brissett-named-starter-over-sam-howell-for-week-17?campaign=Twitter_atn" rel="noopener">the last few weeks</a>, so we just think this is a good opportunity for (Howell) to watch,” Rivera said. “Jacoby — being the professional he is and really playing the way he has — is really going to give Sam an opportunity to see some things, see how the offense goes, and I think it’ll help him,” via Nick Shook of Around the NFL.</p><p>Even with the benching, Rivera believes Howell still has a future in the NFL at quarterback. After taking 60 sacks this season and his team’s losing, it’s not surprising that Howell’s play has suffered. Ideally, this change will be a good reset for Howell.</p><p>“He’s a resilient player and a solid young man who I think has a bright future in this league,” Rivera said of Howell. “I really do. He’s a guy who can play quarterback in the NFL, and do it well, and do it at a high level.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Ron Rivera speaks on benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-jacoby-brissett-will-start-week-17-over-sam-howell-after-heroics-vs-jets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett will start Week 17 over Sam Howell after heroics vs. Jets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news_Jacoby_Brissett_will_start_Week_17_over_Sam_Howell_after_heroics_vs._Jets.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett will start Week 17 over Sam Howell after heroics vs. Jets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-27T08:10:11-08:00">December 27th, 8:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-27T08:35:30-08:00">December 27th, 8:35am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders <a href="https://twitter.com/Commanders/status/1740039028165009753" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Twitter that Jacoby Brissett will start at quarterback over Sam Howell on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-why-fans-are-thrilled-greg-zuerlein-spoiled-jacoby-brissett-comeback" rel="noopener">Commanders</a> head coach Ron Rivera has benched Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett during the team’s last two games against the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets. Brissett led comeback attempts in both games that were unsuccessful. In the Jets game, Brissett brought Washington back from a 27-7 deficit to take a 28-27 lead, but Greg Zuerlein kicked a game-winning field goal to give New York a 30-28 win.</p><p>Howell has struggled over the last two weeks in the games he was eventually benched. In both games against the Rams and the Jets, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-powerful-message-sam-howell-benching" rel="noopener">Commanders</a> were playing with big deficits. Brissett came in and played well, getting the Commanders back in both games to some extent.</p><p>The competition will step up this week, as the San Francisco 49ers are one of, if not the most talented team in the NFL, and they will surely be motivated to bounce back from a poor showing against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if Brissett can continue to give quality play for the Commanders against a top defense like the 49ers, and with a team planning to face him throughout the week.</p><p>The Commanders are far removed from the playoff race in the NFC, but they are looking to finish the season strong and bring some positive momentum into the offseason, where a number of changes are possible.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett will start Week 17 over Sam Howell after heroics vs. Jets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-powerful-message-sam-howell-benching');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders: Jacoby Brissett’s powerful message to Sam Howell after benching');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news_Jacoby_Brissett_s_powerful_message_to_Sam_Howell_after_Washington_benching.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders: Jacoby Brissett’s powerful message to Sam Howell after benching</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-24T19:12:30-08:00">December 24th, 7:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-24T19:12:30-08:00">December 24th, 7:12pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The last two games have been tough for Washington Commanders second-year quarterback Sam Howell, but veteran teammate Jacoby Brissett wants the young signal-caller to know that he’s got his back amid the disappointing stretch. Brissett shared some <a href="https://twitter.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1739056928423076202" rel="noopener">valuable wisdom</a> for Howell following another benching of the latter in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-fans-ready-fire-ron-rivera-brutal-start-jets" rel="noopener">Week 16’s 30-28 loss</a> to the New York Jets on the road (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post).</p><p>“I told him, ‘Man, this is going to be the hardest part of your career right now. And it’s going to feel like, man, that you’re in it by yourself and it’s snowballing; it’s one thing after another, one thing after another. But I know from being in this league, man, the good ones find a way to get to the other side. No matter how long it takes, how hard it is, you surround yourself with good people.”</p><p>Brissett also revealed the inspiring message he told Howell a they left the field following the loss to the Jets.</p><p>“I’m excited for him, man. I told him that literally I got run off the field, but I told him, ‘I’m excited for this part in your career because not a lot of people get this experience and the ones that come out on the other side have a better story than a lot of people. I’m sure he’ll appreciate this part of his journey at the end of his career.”</p><h2><b>Sam Howell benched again by Commanders</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Commanders_-stance-on-Sam-Howell-as-QB1-of-the-future.jpg"></figure><p>Against the Jets, Howell had a forgettable performance, going 6/22 for 56 passing yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. After he got benched for Brissett, the Commanders’ offense looked much livelier, as Brissett went 10/13 for 100 passing yards and a touchdown, while marching the offense downfield more effectively. It was the same narrative that played out in Week 15’s Commanders 28-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on the road when Washington got a major spark when Brissett entered the game for Howell.</p><p>Hopefully for Howell and the Commanders, he will be able to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-ron-rivera-addresses-week-17-qb1-question-after-benching-sam-howell-for-jacoby-brissett" rel="noopener">rise from back-to-back duds</a> and perform well in Week 17 against a formidable San Francisco 49ers squad.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders: Jacoby Brissett’s powerful message to Sam Howell after benching

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-ron-rivera-addresses-week-17-qb1-question-after-benching-sam-howell-for-jacoby-brissett');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Ron Rivera addresses Week 17 QB1 question after benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news__Ron_Rivera_addresses_Week_17_QB1_question_after_benching_Sam_Howell_for_Jacoby_Brissett.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders’ Ron Rivera addresses Week 17 QB1 question after benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-24T14:36:27-08:00">December 24th, 2:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-24T14:36:27-08:00">December 24th, 2:36pm</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders nearly pulled off a comeback win against the New York Jets as a result of benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett in the second half, and head coach Ron Rivera <a href="https://twitter.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1739040311429480864" rel="noopener">spoke about</a> the decision and whether or not he will stick with Brissett for the final three games of the season.</p><p>“I would say a little more about veteran experience,” Ron Rivera said, via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “I would say a little bit more of the fact that he’s been through these types of things and Sam’s still learning and growing. Again it was my decision. I let EB know, and he was fine, and we went ahead and did it. … Well we’re going to put everything, and evaluate everything. We’ll come into that conclusion very early in the week.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ron Rivera on benching Sam Howell. Wouldn’t say if Jacoby Brissett is the starter for the last two games. Said they’ll evaluate and make a decision early this week. <a href="https://t.co/lBmMOsQiUf">pic.twitter.com/lBmMOsQiUf</a></p><p>— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1739040311429480864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rivera went on to say that <a href="https://twitter.com/john_keim/status/1739040274087633265" rel="noopener">he believes</a> Sam Howell’s confidence might have been shaken by some early lapses, whether it was his or others on the team, according to John Keim of ESPN.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-fans-ready-fire-ron-rivera-brutal-start-jets" rel="noopener">Commanders</a> were down 27-7 when Jacoby Brissett came into the game, and Washington eventually came back to take a 28-27 lead. Unfortunately, the Jets won 30-28 on a late field goal. The move to Brissett sparked the offense, but it was too little, too late as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-replaces-sam-howell-jets-blowout" rel="noopener">Commanders</a> defense could not keep the Jets out of field goal range.</p><p>It will be interesting to see whether or not Rivera goes with Brissett as the starter next week, or he goes back to Howell.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Ron Rivera addresses Week 17 QB1 question after benching Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/commanders-news-jacoby-brissett-replaces-sam-howell-jets-blowout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett replaces awful Sam Howell in blowout vs. Jets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Commanders_news_Jacoby_Brissett_replaces_awful_Sam_Howell_in_blowout_vs_Jets.webp"></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett replaces awful Sam Howell in blowout vs. Jets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-24T13:05:11-08:00">December 24th, 1:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-24T13:05:11-08:00">December 24th, 1:05pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even with the chaos surrounding the Washington Commanders, Sam Howell at least seemed locked in as the team’s starting quarterback. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-washington-fans-flame-sam-howell-benched-jacoby-brissett" rel="noopener">Howell has only added</a> to the dysfunction with his performance against the New York Jets in Week 16.</p><p>Howell <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1739021743916798358" rel="noopener">was benched</a> in favor of Jacoby Brissett with just over five minutes left in the third quarter, via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-fans-ready-fire-ron-rivera-brutal-start-jets" rel="noopener">Commanders trailed the Jets</a> 27-7.</p><p>Before being benched, Howell completed just 6-of-22 passes for 56 yards and two interceptions. Washington did not sustain a drive longer than 30 yards under Howell. To put it simply, Howell was a disaster for the Commanders under center in Week 16.</p><p>Brissett didn’t calm the QB change noise upon his arrival. In his first drive at quarter, Brissett led Washington to the end zone and found Logan Thomas for a 15-yard touchdown pass.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">What a throw by Brissett.<br>What a catch by Thomas.</p><p>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WASvsNYJ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WASvsNYJ</a> on CBS<br>📱: Stream on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPlus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLPlus</a> <a href="https://t.co/UIg1XAjsX3">https://t.co/UIg1XAjsX3</a> <a href="https://t.co/EuRkspUclf">pic.twitter.com/EuRkspUclf</a></p><p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1739022674322440234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Week 16 wasn’t the first time Ron Rivera has decided to bench Howell. He received the same treatment in the fourth quarter of Week 15’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Back-to-back benchings certainly has Commanders fans questioning if Howell is the right option under center.</p><p>At 4-10 and out of the playoff hunt, multiple changes are coming for the Commanders. Ron Rivera’s seat has never been hotter with a coaching change widely expected. But after two poor performances, Howell might be next to join him.</p><p>Whether it’s Jacoby Brissett or another quarter, Sam Howell’s time in Washington now seems to be running out. After getting showered with optimism to begin the year, Howell’s star power is burning out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jacoby Brissett replaces awful Sam Howell in blowout vs. Jets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/why-commanders-must-not-start-jacoby-brissett-sam-howell-week-16');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Commanders must not start Jacoby Brissett over Sam Howell in Week 16');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/commanders-news-washington-fans-flame-sam-howell-being-benched-for-jacoby-brissett.webp"></figure><h1>Why Commanders must not start Jacoby Brissett over Sam Howell in Week 16</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-19T16:48:23-08:00">December 19th, 4:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-19T16:52:41-08:00">December 19th, 4:52pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders find themselves at a pivotal juncture as they approach Week 16 of the NFL season. With the fate of their 2023 campaign hanging in the balance, a critical decision awaits that could either revive a glimmer of hope or lead to further disappointment for the team and its devoted fans.</p><h2><b>The Commanders Season So Far</b></h2><p>The Commanders have had a challenging 2023 NFL season so far. They carry <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/standings" rel="noopener">a 4-10 record</a> and sit dead last in the NFC East. They are officially out of the playoff race. The team has struggled to secure victories, and their recent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/washington-commanders-most-to-blame-week-15-loss-rams" rel="noopener">Week 15 loss against the Los Angeles Rams</a> further exemplifies their difficulties. Throughout the season, the Commanders have faced tough competition, including playoff teams from the previous year.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Washington-Commanders-most-to-blame-for-Week-15-loss-to-Rams_50.webp"></figure><p>Despite a few encouraging moments, such as a two-game win streak to start the season, they have been unable to maintain momentum. Right now, the Commanders have lost five in a row. Their last win came back in Week 9. The team’s performance has been marked by a significant point differential. They have also faced challenges within their division, being winless against their NFC East opponents. Overall, the Commanders have encountered a series of setbacks and have been unable to establish a strong position in the league. This has led to a tough and disappointing season. Not surprisingly, head coach Ron Rivera is in the hot seat. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-ron-rivera-peace-commanders-tenure-firing-speculation" rel="noopener">We don’t expect him back</a> next season.</p><p>The Commanders’ 2023 season has been characterized by a struggle to convert opportunities into victories. The team’s statistics reflect their challenges, with a notable point differential and difficulty in securing first downs and offensive yardage. Yes, the team started the season with wins over the Cardinals and Broncos. However, the Commanders have faced an uphill battle, particularly against strong opponents. The season has also seen fluctuations in the team’s performance, with varying win percentages across different months. As the season progresses, the Commanders will aim to address their shortcomings and end the year on a more positive note. That’s despite the significant obstacles they have encountered.</p><p>Here we will look at why the Washington Commanders must not start Jacoby Brissett over Sam Howell in Week 16.</p><h2><b>Howell Is The Guy</b></h2><p>It’s worth noting that quarterback Sam Howell was benched for veteran Jacoby Brissett in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Rams. Brissett injected a clear spark, tossing two touchdown passes to add intrigue to the game. Having said that, head coach Ron Rivera emphasized in his postgame press conference that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/commanders-news-washington-fans-flame-sam-howell-benched-jacoby-brissett" rel="noopener">Howell remains Washington’s QB1</a>.</p><p>Coach Ron Rivera explained the decision to bench Howell as a precautionary measure</p><blockquote>“Well, [we were] just really trying to take care of him a little bit,” he said. “He got into a situation, and then the ears pinned back like that. Didn’t want to see anything crazy.”</blockquote><p>Despite the challenging circumstances, Rivera expressed confidence in Howell. He affirmed that Howell would remain the team’s starting quarterback. Howell finished the game 11-of-26 for 102 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Meanwhile, Brissett went 8-of-10 for 124 yards with two touchdown passes.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jacoby Brissett had more passing yards than Sam Howell despite only playing the last two drives for the Commanders 😳 <a href="https://t.co/1P6PRuRQIj">pic.twitter.com/1P6PRuRQIj</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1736544897623019552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The decision to stick with Sam Howell over Jacoby Brissett for Week 16 is crystal clear: it is a choice grounded in the future of the franchise. Yes, Brissett brings valuable experience. However, Howell embodies the promise of tomorrow.</p><h2><b>Looking Ahead</b></h2><p>As the Commanders gaze into the future, prioritizing Howell’s development is paramount. The remaining games of the season offer an invaluable opportunity for Howell to gain experience and establish chemistry with the team. This will lay the groundwork for seasons to come. With playoff hopes fading, providing Howell with meaningful playing time becomes an investment in the team’s long-term success. Allowing Howell to lead the offense enables the Commanders to assess his potential as a cornerstone of the franchise, paving the way for a competitive and promising future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	-

2024 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	-

Sam Howell news

Sam
Howell news