SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE ... HOWELL STILL GETTING SACKED

 Briefly told … at least that’s the plan …

Whatever happened to SAM HOWELL? Washington 

Football Team fans should remember the former 

University of North Carolina quarterback … who 

frankly showed a lot of promise last year on a terrible, 

poorly-coached team and subsequently was traded to 

Seattle … where he has pretty much sat and watched

 GENO SMITH this season … appearing in two 

games, with no statistics for passing or running … 

until Sunday, when Smith was injured early in the 

second half with Green Bay leading 20-3 … and 

Howell finished up in rather unspectacular fashion – 5 

of 14 passing, 24 yards, one interception, four sacks – 

as the Packers prevailed 30-13 … and Seattle rookie 

coach MIKE MACDONALD, 37, said he wouldn’t 

rule out Smith, who suffered a knee injury, playing in 

Week 16 against the Rams … now tied with Seahawks 

for first (8-6) in the NFC West.

We were reminded of Howell Sunday, believe it or not, 

while watching his successor with the Commanders,

 JAYDEN DANIELS, get sacked eight times in a 20-

19 win over New Orleans … I know, I know, Daniels, 

the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner from LSU, is a 

major improvement … still, comparisons are 

nonetheless striking. Both don’t hesitate to run on a 

busted play … and both tend to hold onto the ball 

longer than necessary. You might recall that was the 

primary rap against Howell, who led the league in 

sacks as well as interceptions for a 5-13 team that was 

upgraded in every department, starting with a new 

owner as well as coach, DAN QUINN, the 

Commanders’ second choice (as far as we know) after 

Macdonald rejected their offer.

Of course, Daniels is more elusive … and has an 

uncanny ability to bide time while his receivers try to 

get open. Sunday, for example, he played catch-me-if-

you-can for eight seconds before hitting TERRY 

McLAURIN in the end zone for the first touchdown. 

That’s an eternity in the NFL … Still, as Howell 

learned the hard way, the Team Formerly Known as 

Redskins wasn’t/still isn’t blessed with enough 

receivers who can get open regularly ,,, other than 

McLaurin … which, it says here, is the primary reason 

why Daniels runs so much … more than he should for 

a player on whom the team needs at his absolute best 

every week. As Fox analyst JONATHAN VILMA put 

it, “He’s got to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

At least Daniels has learned to slide from harm’s way 

… that is, until he runs into a clown like Houston’s

 AZEEZ AL-SHAAIR, who apparently ended

 TREVOR LAWRENCE’s season (prematurely) … 

ignoring the defenseless Jacksonville QB’s slide to end 

a run by hammering him in the head going full speed 

… resulting in a concussion. (To think the NFL only 

gave Al-Shaair a three-game suspension … and 

Texans’ GM NICK CASIEROdefended his 

linebacker, calling the league’s decision, that will cost 

Al-Shaair a minimum of $338,000 in salary, 

“embarrassing.”)

Speaking of which … thanks to another blunder by 

game officials (see below), your Commanders came 

within a failed two-point, all-or-nothing conversion on 

the game’s final snap of losing to the 5-9 Saints … 

who have one decent quarterback, DEREK CARR, 

who couldn’t play Sunday … Third-string JAKE 

HAEVER made his first NFL start … and lasted one 

half, completing 4 of 10 passes for 49 yards. One was 

intercepted. He was sacked five times … Washington 

led 14-0 on TD passes of 16- and three-yards from 

Daniels to McLaurin … Until its final drive of the first 

30 minutes, the home team had a total of 21 yards 

(three passing) and ONE first down … Enter second-

string SPENCER RATTLER,former Oklahoma and 

South Carolina QB who replaced Haever in the third 

quarter – after the Commanders had second and goal at 

the NO one and had to settle for a field goal. In six 

plays, Rattler directed a 71-yard drive 

to cut the deficit to 17-7 … From there the best 

Washington could do 

was one of two field goal attempts by South Africa-

born GREG JOSEPH, 30, the Commanders’ third 

kicking specialist of the season … playing for his 

fourth team of 2024 … McLaurin caught seven passes 

for 73 yards … but on three occasions got behind the 

defense only to have Daniels barely overthrow him 

once … underthrow him another time … and the 

veteran receiver flat out dropped another … A lock for 

ORY … sorry, offensive rookie of the year … Daniels 

was 25 of 31 for 226 yards, two TDS … and ran 11 

times for 66 yards.

About the latest goof by officials … for reasons not 

explained … the clock was stopped with :09 to gowhe 

line judge JIM QUIRK came running in, 

waving his arms ostensibly indicating time should 

stand still, after a New Orleans first down at the 

Washington one … A minimum of two seconds 

expired before the clock operator recognized the 

mistake … while the Saints quickly lined up, and 

Rattler took the snap and spiked the ball with :03 

showing, giving the home team one last chance to 

score … which it did – Rattler to FOSTER 

MORLEAU – thereby leaving anyone who had 

Washington by seven joining the ongoing the-game-

was-fixed chorus that has become prevalent since 

betting became legal a few years ago … Unlike college 

football, the clock does NOT stop the result of a first 

down in the NFL … They got it wrong, the league said 

in a prepared statement after the game, and let it go at 

that.

-------  So Virginia Tech football coach BRENT PRY

 talks it over with athletic director WHIT BABCOCK

 and former defensive guru BUD FOSTER then fires 

three assistants including the weight and conditioning 

coach … who, I’m sure, was responsible for breakdowns 

on both sides of the ball … that resulted in the Hokies 

losing five games by one score (7, 3, 4, 7 and 3 

points)… With more changes to come, Pry promises … 

with the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota (Jan. 3, 

7:30 p.m., in Charlotte, N.C.) still on tap for his 6-6 team 

… Hokies had 15 scholarship players enter the transfer 

portal … eight on defense … Hoping to get some key 

undergraduates to change their minds and stay, Pry fired 

offensive line coach RON CROOK and DC/LB assistant

 CHRIS MARVElast week …QBs KYRON DRONES

 and POP WATSON will stay … although it’s doubtful 

Drones (injured) will face the Big 18 Gophers … The 

2024 Dudley Award winner ANTWAUN POWELL-

RYLAND previously said he would declare for the NFL 

and not play in Charlotte. Likewise best RB

 BHAYSHUL TUTEN ... I’m sure their teammates 

understand. They do, don’t they?

Until next time ...