UNC Football: Sam Howell wins in his Seattle Seahawks preseason debut

Sam Howell's Seattle introduction is off to a better start than may have been expected. Word out of Seahawks camp was that the former Commander was struggling behind starter Geno Smith, and could be in danger of falling behind former Panther PJ Walker on the depth chart.

But Howell, the former UNC football star, got the start in Seattle's first preseason game in Los Angeles last night, with the Seahawks opting to rest Geno Smith, who is a little banged up and didn't need to be risked in live-action. When opportunity knocked, Sam Howell opened to door.

His stat line may seem subdued, but keep in mind that Howell only played two quarters and was without top receivers DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett to break plays open. Howell looked sharp when he dropped back, planted, and ripped. He had several first-down passes where he threw as soon as he hit the last step in his dropback. That will be handy going forward if he wants to cut down on his eye-watering 60 sacks from last season.

He did take two sacks in the game, and both of them occurred when he held on to the ball too long. Whether that have changed with Metcalf and Lockett on the field is debatable. Seattle also didn't have their starting offensive line in the game, but the Chargers weren't charging with their best defensive line, either.

Howell did show some of his 2022 magic, running for a first down on 3rd & 10. Having this card to play will benefit Seattle moving forward, especially if defenses play man coverage on third down.

Will Howell get more opportunities to start in preseason? That depends on how much Seattle is willing to risk Geno Smith's health. But regardless of starting status, Howell will get snaps and it is imperative he put his best foot forward.