Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is racking up sacks at a rate that would shatter the NFL record in the unlikely event that he lasts 17 games and gets sacked the same way he did in the first three games.
Howell was sacked 19 times this season, or 6.3 times per game, an NFL high. Over a 17-game season, that would work out to an absurd 108 sacks. The NFL record for most sacks in a season is 76, set by David Carr with the expansion Texans in 2002.
Howell also loses yards on sacks like no other quarterback. Through three games, Howell has lost 124 yards on sacks. That would mean a total of 703 yards on sacks in a 17-game season. The NFL record for yards lost on sacks in a season is 489, set by Randall Cunningham with the Eagles in 1986.
After Howell was sacked nine times in Sunday’s 37-3 loss to the Bills, there was some question as to whether coach Ron Rivera should have taken Howell out of the game. Rivera said he thinks it’s good for Howell to learn from tough games like this.
“We want him to deal with it. We want him to do the things he’s capable of,” Rivera said. “There was a certain point where protecting him probably would have been the next step. . . . He’s a young guy and he needs to play, and that’s what really matters: He learns, grows and gets better.”
Howell needs to learn to avoid pressure better or he’ll break the single-season sack record or get hurt before he can.