Well, folks, that rollercoaster of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles is officially in the rearview mirror for Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell. No dwelling on the past for this guy, as his focus has shifted faster than a New York minute to the upcoming clash against the Chicago Bears on Thursday.
If there’s one thing Howell is learning as a starting quarterback, it’s how to bounce back. The 34-31 overtime loss to the Eagles taught him a valuable lesson: he can hold his own against the best in the league.
Sure, the final score might not have been what he envisioned, but Howell’s performance had the Washington coaching staff and fans nodding in approval. So, what did the young QB glean from this nail-biter?
“Well, I think the main thing is I took care of the football and just went through my progressions and trusted what I saw,” Howell reflected. “I think I did a decent job for most of the game. Obviously, we came up short, and I would’ve liked to have made more plays and given us a chance to win. But Philly’s over with, and we’ve moved on to Chicago. Got a short week, so been pretty busy trying to get ready to go for that, but we’re excited.”
Thankfully, there’s no long wait to rectify the heartbreak of the Eagles’ loss. The Chicago Bears are on the menu, and they’ll be served up at FedEx Field on Thursday night. It’s a short week, which means less prep time, but it’s nothing new for Howell, who’s been through similar experiences in college.
Now, you might wonder if it’s any different in the NFL. Howell’s got the scoop: “Yeah, it’s a little different. You don’t have all the practices that you usually have in a normal week. But yeah, just being here last year, I kind of got a good sense of what it’s like. We had some Thursday night games in college as well, but yeah, I mean, it’s different. You don’t have near as much time to prepare, but you just got to put a little more time in. You might have some later nights than you usually would on a normal week, but you just got to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re going into the game fully prepared. I think we’ve done a really good job of that so far.”
The Commanders hit the practice field in preparation for Thursday Night Football against the Bears. Despite the physical, grueling battle with the Eagles, everyone got in their reps. Wide receivers Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel were limited, while running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. made a return on a limited basis after missing last week.
Now, let’s talk about the Bears. These two teams are in desperate need of a win after letting leads slip away in Week 4. Howell, who silenced some doubters with his performance against the Eagles, will look to keep the momentum going with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson as his main targets.
Washington’s defense aims to put the pressure on Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who recently made headlines with his comments about the coaching staff. Fields is coming off a game where he threw four touchdowns and racked up over 300 yards.
As we head into Week 5, Washington sits third in the NFC East behind the 3-1 Dallas Cowboys and the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
So, mark your calendars for Thursday, October 5th, 2023, at 8:15 p.m. ET. FedEx Field is the battleground, and Prime Video or BIG 100.3 FM will be your portals to the action. And remember what Sam Howell has to say about it all: “I don’t believe in moral victories. We lost the game, and I feel like we should have won.” Let’s get ready for some prime-time showdown, folks!
