Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has a new head coach. As it turns out, the former North Carolina standout is watching film from his new coach’s former team.
Howell revealed recently that he’s begun studying Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. According to John Keim of ESPN, the Commander quarterback has been watching Chiefs film, who spoke with Howell.
Keim wrote, “But the constant focus was footwork. Before they knew Bieniemy would be hired, Boone had Howell use footwork for different offenses, tying it to various route concepts. After Washington hired Bieniemy, it became easier.”
“I feel like I’m a lot better. Once I knew we had E.B. [Bieniemy], I was watching Kansas City film and seeing what they were doing. I was able to match up my footwork,” Howell said via ESPN.com.
It’s not the most eye-popping reveal. In fact, it probably would be if it weren’t the Chiefs that Howell was studying. But it’s a notable one due to mechanics. If Howell can find improvements there, then surplusses elsewhere could be easier to obtain.
The Commanders are in flux at quarterback after releasing Carson Wentz this off-season. Howell is the team’s choice, although his longterm viability at starter will be in question as the team progresses ahead. We’ll see if studying Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs helps him out.
[ESPN]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022