Sam Howell's first loss as an NFL starting quarterback came in disastrous fashion.
The Washington Commanders quarterback tossed four interceptions and was sacked a whopping nine times in Sunday's 37-3 home loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The defeat had Howell channeling his inner Annie.
"It starts with me," Howell repeatedly said after Sunday's loss, via The Associated Press. "But the good thing is: The sun'll come up tomorrow."
Howell became the first Washington QB to win his first three career starts since at least 1950. In doing so, he averaged 243.0 passing yards per game with six touchdowns and two interceptions. In rainy elements Sunday, it all came crashing down with Howell throwing for 170 yards and four interceptions.
Behind an offensive line that couldn't handle the waves of pressure from Sean McDermott's defense, Howell's head spun from the onset, leading to an opening-drive INT. He made several poor reads, including an end-zone interception to open the second half when Washington could have made a game of it.
"It was a tough day for all of us. It's not just on him," Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin said. "But I just wanted to let him know that we've got his back. You're going to have tough days at the office -- some uglier than others."
Howell became just the sixth QB in the Super Bowl era with at least four interceptions and nine sacks in a game, per The AP -- the most recent: Warren Moon in 1995.
The ability of Washington's opponents to rush four, drop seven in coverage and still get pressure thanks to a struggling offensive line is likely to be a common theme throughout the rest of the season in D.C.
After his worst performance as a pro, this week's talking point is whether Howell can bounce back and make it a blip or whether things will snowball. As he said, the sun will come out tomorrow. Whether Howell's play rises with it is the question.
