WATCH: Sam Howell throws first NFL touchdown in season finale vs. Cowboys
Washington Commander QB Sam Howell just had a very quick start to his NFL career. In his first game as QB1, the Dallas Cowboys gave him very strong field position after a fumbled punt that led to a turnover on down.
From there, his first pass ever went to Terry McLaurin who took it in for a touchdown that gave the Commanders an early 7-0 lead.
With all the quarterback changes in Washington during this season, Howell, the 144th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, had yet to see any action behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke. However, with Washington’s playoff hopes up in smoke after last week, Ron Rivera elected to give the rookie a chance in Week 18.
There’s a lot of game to go for the fifth-round pick out of North Carolina against one of the NFL’s top defenses. Still, that’s about as good of a start as a quarterback could hope for to start off his pro career with.
WATCH: Steelers eliminated from playoffs after Dolphins kick game-winning field goal
After securing a 28-14 victory against Cleveland on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers still needed losses from Miami and New England to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, those dreams would be dashed after Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders kicked the go-ahead 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining to defeat the Jets.
Miami later added two points on a safety as the Jets attempted to lateral the ball as time expired, winning 11-6. The win not only spoiled the Steelers’ chances of making the playoffs, but it also punched the Dolphins’ ticket as the No. 7 seed. Sunday’s victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Miami, which ends the regular season 9-8.
Pittsburgh also ended the season 9-8, finishing with a record above .500 for the 16th time in as many seasons under coach Mike Tomlin. However, this marks the sixth time during that span that the Steelers have missed out on the playoffs.