For the third straight week, the Washington Commanders faced an opponent who entered the game with the fewest quarterback sacks in the NFL. Week 5, the Chicago Bears sacked Washington’s QB Sam Howell five times. Week 6, the Atlanta Falcons only had five sacks on the season before sacking Howell five times.
On Sunday, the New York Giants sacked Howell six times. The Giants only had two sacks in the previous six games total.
Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale drew up constant overload pressures, and the Commanders failed at handling it.
The first sack happened on Washington’s second offensive play. Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence overpowered Commanders center Nick Gates to get to Howell. The QB was in Lawrence’s grasp when linebacker Micah McFadden fired through to bring him down.
Later in the quarter, Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams came through clean on a stunt as Lawrence took out both Gates and right guard Sam Cosmi. Washington wide receiver Dyami Brown flared from the slot and was open. However, Howell was in distress and took the sack.
Giants overwhelmed Commanders offensive line with blitzes
The third sack opened the floodgates for Martindale to overload the Commanders’ struggling offensive line. Giants safety Jason Pinnock blitzed off the edge untouched to sack Howell, as Commanders right tackle Andrew Wylie slid his protection inside to the defensive line.
Martindale sent seven on sack No. 4 with Pinnock as the focal point, firing through the gap as Kayvon Thibodeaux rushed off the edge. Commanders left tackle Charles Leno kicked out for Thibodeaux, but Lawrence blew past Wylie on a stunt to pressure Howell before Thibodeaux came through to bring the QB down.
The Giants got a fifth sack in the half as the defense brought six. Lawrence once again (via Gates) got the hit on Howell before Thibodeaux cleaned up with the sack.
Sam Howell is on the verge of being Washington’s most sacked QB in a single season
Howell got sacked five times in the first half. He now has been sacked 40 times in the season. The Commanders franchise record is 49, held by Trent Green (1998) and Norm Snead (1961), per Mitchell Tischler of NBC Sports Washington.
Howell is on pace to set the record in nine games.
There’s enough blame to go around as to why Howell has gotten sacked so much. He’s held the ball too long in games against the Denver Broncos, Bears, and Falcons. This week, however, the Giants just beat the Commanders up front.
The play-calling is also an issue. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has leaned heavily on the pass in his first year with Washington. Howell dropped back to pass 49 times. He completed 22-of-42 passes for 249 yards. He got sacked six times and pulled down to scramble once.
The Commanders had just 18 run plays called. With an offensive line struggling to protect and a young quarterback who has a history of getting sacked often, there has to be an adjustment made.
On the season, Howell has been hit 69 times through seven games, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
That’s over nine times per game. He’s on pace for 168 hits. Also, he is on pace to get sacked 97 times in the season, which would crush the NFL record — 76.
There is no doubt something has to give. Or else, the Commanders quarterback will be battered and bruised by the end of the season.
