Mack Brown commends Sam Howell on preseason performance against Ravens
Mack Brown has had a pair of high-quality quarterbacks over his five years since returning to Chapel Hill. The first of the two is already in the NFL, with the second well on his way too, and he’s making the North Carolina head coach proud.
Brown tweeted out a message to Sam Howell, quarterback of the Washington Commanders, during his second outing in the preseason. With Howell opening, and eventually finishing, his team’s game against the Baltimore Ravens well, Brown had to give his former quarterback a shoutout.
Howell finished his efficient night in the 29-28 win over the Ravens by completing 19/25 passes for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns. For the preseason, he is now 28/37 (75.7%) for 265 passing yards and three scores in a pair of wins over Cleveland and Baltimore.
Howell spent three seasons as the starter for the Tar Heels from 2019 to 2021. He threw for nearly 10,300 yards for 92 touchdowns in 37 games under Brown.
After being one of the college game’s best passers, he went on to be a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Commanders who then sat him as a rookie behind Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz.
Howell has made his presence in this preseason known as one of the new starting quarterbacks in the league. No matter what, though, he’ll always have the support of Brown considering the time they spent with one another at UNC.
Commanders end Ravens’ historic win streak
The Washington Commanders made history Monday night, snapping the Baltimore Ravens’ NFL record 24-game winning streak in the preseason.
Washington halted the streak on the leg of Joey Slye, who nailed a 49-yarder through the uprights with nine seconds remaining to give the Commanders the 29-28 victory. Slye’s game-winner capped off a 14-play, 60-yard drive guided by former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.
It turns out that Samuel Cosmi‘s prediction came true. The Commanders’ offensive lineman downplayed the Ravens’ streak and guaranteed his team would be the ones to end it.
“I think it’s a stupid record,” Cosmi said. “I mean, who gives a s— about preseason games? If we beat it? Great. We’re gonna beat it so there we go.”
It was Washington’s first-team offense that stood out. With their offensive starters suiting up, including quarterback Sam Howell, the Commanders put up 17 points in the first half. Howell completed 19-of-25 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. One was a nine-yarder to RB Antonio Gibson and the other was an 11-yarder to WR Dyami Brown.