Apparently Ben Johnson loves Sam Howell

[Appyhawk]

A guy with a year starting experience in the nfl should have been able to navigate his way through that brief segment of the game he was thrown into on the spur of the moment much better than he did. I do not think he is actually THAT bad, but he proved that he can be THAT bad. And that is good enough for me to find him a new home at first opportunity.

 

[JustTheTip]

The problem is the ardent Geno supporters went overboard killing Howell to make their argument seem stronger and I think it wasn't even necessary. Geno is the better option. Doesn't mean Sam doesn't have a future in this leage either.

Geno is only the better option because you know what you can count on getting from him and that is "reasonable" performance. If Howell were given some real time to practice and play with first team, he may show himself to be the better option. My guess is he doesn't, but he could.

 

[jeremiah]

He’s a cheaper and longer bridge than geno… but a bridge to where?

A bridge to knowing what he has, if he dumps like some say he will, we get a better future through the draft. Geno is a black hole that will take a lot of $$$$'s to fill, and he is getting old fast. We need a QB with wheels AND an arm. It is the only way to win, unless you have a great QB with the arm and the poise. Between Russell and Geno, I would say they are about equal. Limited, Russ because he can't move anymore, and Geno, because he doesn't have the poise to take us deep in the playoffs without a great O line.

 

[IndyHawk]

People are still being too hard on the dude for one outing. No one remembers when Kirk Cousins came in against Seattle in the playoffs and played almost as bad as Howell did? He went on to have a fantastic career. A lot of people around the league like(d) Howell.

Yep, here we are again not agreeing on QBs..
I'm curious did you like Montana, Marino or Favre?
I just wonder if there is a QB we ever agree on lol.

 

[toffee]

Over troubled water? Aka geNO

 

[jammerhawk]

Here's the thing, Geno has a big cap number for this upcoming season, $44,500,000, and the team is under water in relation to the cap by almost $27,500,000. Geno is a very capable QB but truly has limits to his upside. I suspect he's likely done here despite his middle to slightly above average ability. I would suspect in terms of cost to benefit he's just too expensive and eating a dead cap hit of $13,500.000 to realize a cap savings of $31,000,000 will be preferable to the team than eating a cap hit of 44,500,000. Next up is Howell who is under contract for next season already and his cap hit is factored in already.

I have otherwise elsewhere negatively commented upon Gee-NO and perhaps am biased but I think the team could use his cap money and some other significant savings to improve for next season. There are few obvious candidates for renegotiation or release that could provide the cap needed for a few critical signings like Jones or a quality LG. Smith has been a temporary solution for his position and despite his redzone woes has been a reasonable but unspecial bridge to a new regime. I'd expect him to be released or possibly traded because he is just not worth being paid $44,500,000.

I guess time alone will tell.

 

[Smellyman]

A guy with a year starting experience in the nfl should have been able to navigate his way through that brief segment of the game he was thrown into on the spur of the moment much better than he did. I do not think he is actually THAT bad, but he proved that he can be THAT bad. And that is good enough for me to find him a new home at first opportunity.

no reps in practice or all year and Grubb has him just throw and throw and throw behind an OL that was made up of 5 traffic cones LOL

 

[keasley45]

A guy with a year starting experience in the nfl should have been able to navigate his way through that brief segment of the game he was thrown into on the spur of the moment much better than he did. I do not think he is actually THAT bad, but he proved that he can be THAT bad. And that is good enough for me to find him a new home at first opportunity.

Grubb called 14 straight pass plays or something like that. Howell didnt look great, agreed. But there was no logic to the calls. You dont do that to a guy coming off the bench. You help him with some runs, some PA, some roll outs, etc.

 

[toffee]

Would Ben love and admire Howell enough to join the Hawks as OC and some sort of not quite HC kinda HC?

 

[Bear-Hawk]

A guy with a year starting experience in the nfl should have been able to navigate his way through that brief segment of the game he was thrown into on the spur of the moment much better than he did. I do not think he is actually THAT bad, but he proved that he can be THAT bad. And that is good enough for me to find him a new home at first opportunity.

True. If you put Ben Johnson on a polygraph, I seriously doubt he’s going to say Howell is a good QB.

 

[Ozzy]

I don’t know I’ve seen some really good quarterbacks have some horrific halves of football. His rookie year he was really good at times, really bad at times but in a horrible situation he definitely flashed some talent.

 

[oldhawkfan]

Over troubled water?

You want these two to battle it out at QB?

 

[OrangeGravy]

To me the upside for Howell at the top end is a Kirk Cousins or Dereck Carr type.
It is unfair to judge him based on one half of football thrown in a game where the line was getting shredded though.

Wait a minute. Say that last part again

 

[OrangeGravy]

I don’t know I’ve seen some really good quarterbacks have some horrific halves of football. His rookie year he was really good at times, really bad at times but in a horrible situation he definitely flashed some talent.

For the millionth time, he wasn't a rookie last year. He sat almost an entire year as a rookie and learned nothing

 

[Ozzy]

For the millionth time, he wasn't a rookie last year. He sat almost an entire year as a rookie and learned nothing

It was his first playing time and the point remains he flashed at times last year in a terrible situation. Your guy Geno was terrible for years before turning it around. Howell is talented and may do the same some day.

 

[Hollandhawk]

Your guy Geno was terrible for years before turning it around.

It blows me away people forget this part. They like to throw out "Oh he was at the jets, they made him look terrible", which is a fair point. However, now he apparently makes stupid mistakes because Seattle has a terrible o-line etc. But Howell on the other hand gets thrown on the trash heap while coming from a commander team where the o-line sucked and the coaching was straight up idiotic, and like you said, he flashed some good stuff there. Now he gets to go in cold for a game with Seattle, no reps with the 1s, behind the same shit o-line people use as an excuse for Geno, is forced to pass a bunch and yet it is STILL completely his fault he looked bad.

 

[Ozzy]

It blows me away people forget this part. They like to throw out "Oh he was at the jets, they made him look terrible, which is a fair point. However, now he apparently makes stupid mistakes because Seattle has a terrible o-line etc. But Howell on the other hand gets thrown on the trash heap while coming from a commander team where the o-line sucked and the coaching was straight up idiotic, and like you said, he flashed some good stuff there. Now he gets to go in cold for a game with Seattle, no reps with the 1s, behind the same shit o-line people use as an excuse for Geno, is forced to pass a bunch and yet it is STILL completely his fault he looked bad.

Yeah this never made a ton of sense to me. They should’ve at least for the sake of consistency said who knows how good Howell is because of the circumstances but almost none of them did. It’s telling.

 

[nwHawk]

Howell is young and not a finished product.

 

[Ozzy]

Yep and I’m not saying I think he’s good. I’m just saying he could be?

 

[Streamhawk]

True. If you put Ben Johnson on a polygraph, I seriously doubt he’s going to say Howell is a good QB.

What would he say about Goff?