By R.L. Bynum
Sam Howell again didn’t play well, but his receivers’ struggles didn’t help.
For the second consecutive week, Washington coach Ron Rivera benched the struggling quarterback and got a spark off the bench from former N.C. State quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Just like the week before, the Commanders suffered a tough loss. The New York Jets blew a 20-point halftime lead but won it on Greg Zuerlein’s 54-yard field goal with five seconds left for a 30–28 win and the sixth consecutive loss for Washington (4–11).
It was a career-worst game for Howell, who connected on 6 of 22 passes for 56 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, a 1.7 passer rating and 0.24 of a fantasy point in 34 offensive snaps. Howell’s previous low yardage game was 102 in the 28–20 road loss the week before against the Los Angeles Rams. His previous worst passer rating was 41.5 in the 37–3 home loss to Buffalo on Sept. 24.
The lowest yardage game of Howell’s UNC career was when he was 15 of 27 for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the 21–20 home loss Nov. 28, 2019, to Clemson.
Howell completed only one of his first nine passes for 16 yards, including three drops and an interception that slipped through the hands of tight end Logan Thomas, a former Virginia Tech quarterback.
“We didn’t help him early,” Rivera said. “We dropped a couple of balls that we probably should have caught. Your confidence sometimes can get shaken. That’s what I started to feel in the second half, and I was really concerned. That’s why I made the decision that I did.”
Brissett, who entered the Rams loss in the fourth quarter, took over in the third quarter after Howell’s NFL-leading 16th interception when wideout Curtis Samuel tripped.
Brissett, 10 of 13 for 100 yards, one touchdown and a 123.9 passer rating, engineered three straight touchdown drives.
Washington’s Dyami Brown wasn’t targeted for any passes in 13 offensive snaps and had one special-teams tackle and downed two punts in 21 special-teams snaps.
Chazz Surratt played 24 special-teams snaps off the bench for the Jets (6–9) and had no statistics.
The fortunes of Pittsburgh quarterback Mitch Trubisky weren’t any better.
Trubisky didn’t play after a poor performance a week earlier, with Mason Rudolph starting. The third-string quarterback threw for 290 yards, leading the Steelers (8–7) to a 34–11 home win Saturday over Cincinnati.
Josh Downs had six catches on nine targets for 39 yards for Indianapolis (8–7) in the Colts’ 29–10 Sunday loss at Atlanta for 9.9 fantasy points.
Despite suffering his first drop of the season, it was a big day for Downs, who grew up outside of Atlanta and had many family members at the game.
“Just being able to play in front of my family is huge,” Downs told WISH-TV. “You don’t really see how big of an inspiration you are to your family when they can say someone in their family plays in the NFL. So, just having my uncles, aunts, grandparents, mom and dad in the stands was huge for me. I’m just blessed to play in the NFL. Happy to be here. First year, I’m just learning each and every week, and trying to get better.”
For the Falcons (7–8), cornerback Mike Hughes had two tackles and an assist in 63 defensive snaps off the bench. Wide receiver Mack Hollins played 15 offensive snaps and 18 special-teams snaps off the bench with no statistics.
After Ty Chandler ran 23 times for 132 yards a week earlier in his first NFL start, he only had eight carries for 17 yards over 36 offensive snaps in his second start Sunday, a 30–24 home loss for Minnesota (7–8) to the Detroit Lions, for 7.7 fantasy points.
He scored on a 2-yard run late in the first quarter for his third touchdown of the season.
Wide receiver Antoine Green was inactive for Detroit (11–4), which clinched the NFC North, the Lions’ first division title since 1993.
Javonte Williams had 11 carries for 24 yards and a touchdown, and caught a two-point conversion reception, in Denver’s 26–23 Sunday night loss to New England. Williams caught three passes on three targets for -5 yards.
Williams, who played 27 offensive snaps, got the first score of the game for Denver (7–8) on a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
Charlie Heck got his second consecutive start at right tackle for Houston (8–7) in the Texans’ 36–22 home loss to Cleveland, playing all 75 offensive snaps and two special-teams snaps.
James Hurst started at left guard and played all 60 offensive snaps for New Orleans (7–8) in the Saints’ 30–22 Thursday road loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Michael Carter had no catches on one target in two offensive snaps for Arizona (3–12) in the Cardinals’ 27–16 Sunday loss at Chicago.
Offensive lineman Asim Richards played four special-teams snaps off the bench for Dallas (10–5) in the Cowboys’ 22–20 Sunday loss at Miami.
In the New York Giants’ 33–25 Monday loss at Philadelphia, Tomon Fox had one special-teams tackle in 31 total snaps and offensive lineman Marcus McKethan played three special-teams snaps.
Dyami Brown, Washington Commanders wide receiver
Age 23 | 6–0, 195 | third NFL season | UNC 2018–20
Roster situation — Second-string WR behind Terry McLaurin
30–28 Sunday loss at New York Jets — 1 special-teams tackle, downed two punts; 1.0 fantasy point; 13 offensive snaps (21%), 21 special-teams snaps (58%)
Season statistics — 15 games, 1 start; 12 catches, 164 yards (35 longest), 1 TD; 1 rush, 0 yards; 1 assist; 2 special-teams tackles; 1 special-teams assist
Up next — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. San Francisco, Fox
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals running back
Age 24 | 5–8, 201 | third NFL season | UNC 2017–20
Roster situation — Competing for time with James Conner, Earl Demercado and Keaontay Ingram