LANDOVER, Md. — Ron Rivera knew there’d be days like this. Sam Howell most probably knew it too.

That was once at all times the chance of entrusting this crucial Washington Commanders season to a second-year quarterback with one get started below his belt. He would display flashes of brilliance. He’d have moments that will assemble everybody be ok with the generation. He’d most probably even win various video games alongside the best way.

However on the subject of younger, green NFL quarterbacks, in fact unavoidable: What is going up will at all times hit go into reverse.

“Yes, it’s football. It’s going to happen,” Rivera mentioned next Howell and the Commanders crashed again to Earth on Sunday at FedEx Garden with a four-interception catastrophe and a 37-3 loss to the Buffalo Expenses. “There aren’t a lot of guys that can go out there and always have success. You’ve got to learn and grow. You learn from the losses as well as you learn from the wins.”

Neatly, that’s indubitably a method to have a look at the glorious facet. The 23-year-old Howell has a ton to be informed next his first, legit NFL nightmare. He finished 19 of 29 passes for 170 yards in opposition to a truly excellent Expenses protection, however he additionally threw the ones 4 interceptions. No longer that this catastrophe was once all his fault. He was once additionally sacked a daft 9 instances.

That every one completely uncovered the Commanders (2-1) for what they most probably are, next their rousing 2-0 begin to the season. It didn’t douse all of the excellent emotions they’ve been cleansing in for the reason that hour Josh Harris closed on his $6.05 billion acquire of the star-crossed franchise, nevertheless it indubitably was once a fact test and a reminder that they’re a group with main problems, particularly alongside the offensive layout.

And if they are able to’t cure that layout briefly, they’re truly taking to have a defect creating Howell into the quarterback they suspect he may also be.

“Sam’s a great quarterback and a tough kid, man,” mentioned Commanders proper take on Andrew Wylie. “As an offensive line, that’s on our unit. We take that personally. We’ve got to do a better job of keeping him upright. We’ve got to do a better job of getting him that extra tick. He’s a baller. He’s trying to make plays, you know what I mean?”

He indubitably was once making an attempt. However a tender quarterback below siege in a collapsing patch is only a unholy recipe throughout. Veteran quarterbacks could possibly determine their manner out of bother, or a minimum of have the option not to assemble the whole lot worse. However the Expenses power led to a couple truly extreme choices by way of the green Howell, to not point out unholy throws. 

His interceptions appeared to get uglier as the sport went on.

“There were situations where I was trying to get the ball out of my hands and trying to avoid a negative play and I just kind of forced something,” Howell mentioned. “And it wasn’t a good decision.”

That was once about as related as he’d come to criticizing his layout, however that did moderately and as it should be tie the dots as a result of each pick out he threw was once both a right away or oblique results of power. The primary got here next back-to-back sacks when he was once simply looking to assemble one thing occur downfield and couldn’t get his move over Expenses linebacker Terrel Bernard. The second one got here with a defender in his face and Howell leaning backwards as he lobbed a move towards the sideline into the arms of Expenses protection Micah Hyde.

The 3rd got here on a throw that he were given off a break moment earlier than he were given clash. With the power, he couldn’t even succeed in Curtis Samuel in any case zone and Expenses nook Tre’Davious White jumped in entrance and picked the ball off on the 1. And the utmost one got here when Howell escaped bother within the patch, scrambled to his left, and attempted to lob a move to Jahan Dotson, however Expenses linebacker A.J. Espenesa jumped up proper in entrance of the quarterback, grabbed the ball, and returned it 30 yards for a Pick out-6.

“Obviously, a lot of things didn’t go right today and it starts with me,” Howell mentioned. “But the good thing is the sun will come up tomorrow.”

In reality, his teammates did their best possible to aim to let the light into the postgame deposit room, praising Howell for taking a licking and holding on ticking. There’s a quantity they’ve liked about him within the early a part of this season: His moxy, his tranquility demeanor, his talent to assemble roguish choices and robust throws. Now they are able to upload toughness and poise to his resume, too.

“He kept his poise,” mentioned working again Antonio Gibson. “Through a storm like that, that was real tough and he didn’t switch up on anybody. He didn’t change his character and he stuck it out all the way to the last possession. That’s tremendous to me because that was a tough one.”

Added receiver Terry McLaurin: “It was a tough day for all of us. It’s not just on him. You’re going to have tough days at the office. Some ugly other than others.”

All quarterbacks revel in that — particularly the younger ones. Even in a season the place Rivera is aware of, deep i’m sick, that he has to win to book his process, he knew that initiation a tender quarterback could be a season-long curler coaster trip. His most effective hope was once that the peaks would outnumber the stomach-churning drops, and that the trip could be a modest much less bumpy by way of season’s finish.

[Do you want more great stories delivered right to you? Here’s how you can create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow your favorite leagues, teams and players and receive a personalized newsletter in your inbox daily.]

Nevertheless it’s nonetheless early, so sure, Rivera knew this was once coming. It most probably gained’t be the utmost generation Howell will get kicked round both, particularly enjoying in the back of an offensive layout that has now give up 19 sacks in the course of the first 3 video games. All he can do is trip it out. And all of the Commanders can do is grin and endure it, are living and be told, and hope Howell — who isn’t going any place — learns one thing too.

“He’s still learning,” Rivera mentioned. “He’s a young guy. And he’s got to play.”

“He holds himself to a high standard and we hold him to a high standard,” McLaurin added. “I know he’s going to look himself in the mirror and see how he can come back and get better. But the other position groups have to do a better job of helping him out.”

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports activities, overlaying the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and Brandnew York Giants. He spent the former six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in Brandnew York, and earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the Brandnew York Day-to-day Information. Practice him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

---

---