LOVERRO: Howell’s surprising emergence providing Rivera some cover. He needs it.

I think we have an article problem with Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell.

Coach Ron Rivera likes to use the definite article “the” when describing his young quarterback.

“We do feel strongly about the quarterback,” Rivera said last week.

The better-served article, though, may be “a” — the nondefinite article — as in they feel strongly about “a” quarterback. 

The reasonable article is “a” because “the” means the decision is definite, with no room for options. That’s the way a man seeking to deflect attention from his work record would put it.

Howell certainly gave those desperate for “the” quarterback to feel definite about it with his performance Sunday in Washington’s 20-17 win over the New England Patriots.

The 23-year-old fifth-round pick from North Carolina completed 29 of 45 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown. He had some impressive throws. He also had one costly interception in the end zone.

Howell did this, though, against probably the worst team the Commanders have faced so far this season. I get it was a Bill Belichick defense, but it wasn’t even the defense that won the only two games New England has won this season. 

They were missing key players on both sides of the ball, including their best defensive player, Matthew Judon. Yet the Commanders only managed 20 points and had to squeeze out a three-point win against a team so bad they were penalized for offsides on a punt. It shouldn’t have been so hard to beat this team. Washington now has a 4-5 record.

The level of desperation to name Howell as “the” quarterback of the future is fueled by the longing of a damaged fan base for a franchise quarterback after decades of walking in the desert searching for one and a coach who wants to deflect attention from his failures.

Just call Howell “The Great Deflector.”

Rivera used him days after the 2022 season ended to deflect attention from his latest debacle at the time, the absurd trade for Carson Wentz that manifested itself in their 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns late last year.

Wentz, coming back from being benched and getting the start over Taylor Heinicke, completed 16 of 28 passes for 143 yards for 5.1 yards per pass average and three sacks. 

That loss resulted in the Commanders being eliminated from the playoffs, much to the surprise of Rivera, who didn’t know that was a potential outcome on the table. This fact can’t be repeated enough.

Howell started the final game against Dallas and acquitted himself well, completing 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 26-6 victory. Rivera — who, according to numerous reports, had to be talked into playing Howell by Heinicke — saw an opportunity for deflection from the mess he created and named Howell “QB1” just days after the season ended.

Last week, after the team traded away their prize defensive ends, Montez Sweat and Chase Young, Rivera used Howell yet again to deflect attention from the deals — in particular trading Young, Rivera’s first major personnel decision, drafted No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL draft, for a third-round pick from San Francisco.

The two biggest personnel decisions Rivera has made in his four years here — the drafting of Young and the trade for Wentz — both ended in embarrassing failure. He trotted out Howell after both failures to deflect attention.

Last week asked if the trades were a signal of a shift in the way the team wants to build its roster, Rivera answered, “Well, I think, again, when you look at some of the things that have happened for us this year in terms of growth and development and looking at what’s happening on at the quarterback position, you know, we feel really good about who Sam is becoming for us.”

No one asked about Howell.

Rivera was asked if the trades were a sign that he was giving up on the season, Rivera included in a lengthy answer, “We do feel strongly about the quarterback. It’s something that I talked about in the off-season, I’ve talked about through training camp. I’ve talked through the beginning of the season about the growth and development and, and we’re seeing it. And so we want to see what we have and see if we can win football games and put ourselves in that same position.”

When he was asked several questions the following day about the trades, Rivera said, “I’m through with it, OK. Just so you know. I’m ready to talk about New England. We’re going forward onto New England. For me the deals are done. There’s not much more to rake over the coals.”

I guess he got tired of talking about Howell.

There is a lot to talk about Howell this week, most of it good. ESPN reported that in the last five games, Howell has thrown for 1,510 yards, the most in the league, and 10 touchdowns, tied for the most. 

On the same Sunday, though, rookie C.J. Stroud — like Young, the second pick overall in this NFL draft out of Ohio State — led the Houston Texans to a dramatic 39-37 win over Tampa Bay. Stroud threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns, completing 71.6 % of his passes.

My point is, Stroud is a quarterback, too. 

The Commanders will have five draft picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 draft — opportunities to pick a quarterback. Surely you wouldn’t expect the new owners, with what will likely be a whole new personnel and coaching staff in place for next season, to just simply say Howell is the quarterback and accept that without their own bite of the apple?

There may be a Stroud available. Then you have two of them, and maybe one will indeed be the quarterback.

You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.