Jacoby Brissett replaced Sam Howell as the Commanders quarterback for the second straight week on Sunday and he provided a major spark to the team for the second straight week.
The Commanders were down 27-7 to the Jets when Brissett entered the game and he led three straight touchdown drives to put the Commanders up before the Jets drove for a game-winning field goal. The Commanders were also unable to dig themselves out of the hole Howell helped dig in Week 15, but Brissett’s focus after the game wasn’t on making his case to become the team’s starter.
Brissett has been around the NFL a lot longer than Howell and he shared the advice he gave to the second-year player. He said there’s no “magic pill” that’s going to snap Howell out of the slump that’s contributed to a six-game losing streak and that Howell has to “make sure you’ve got the right people in your ear” while adding that he wants to be one of those people.
“I told him ‘This is going to be the hardest part of your career right now. It’s going to feel like you’re in this by yourself. It’s snowballing. It’s one thing after another, it’s one thing after another,’” Brissett said at his postgame press conference. “But I know from being in this league, man, the good ones find a way to get to the other side. No matter how long it takes, how hard it is. You surround yourself with good people. I hope he leans on me as one of those good people that will help him get through this because I know I will.”
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera didn’t name a starter for Week 17 and it feels like a safe bet that someone else will be picking the quarterback in 2024, so there’s plenty of unknowns in front of Howell, Brissett and the rest of the Commanders. One known for Howell is that he has a veteran teammate willing to help him navigate a rough time.