Cashius Howell absolutely went off in his debut, racking up four pressures in the Cincinnati Bengals’ opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, proving every breakout prediction right from the jump. This rookie delivered, big time, and the Bengals’ defense absolutely feasted, forcing four turnovers that day and keeping Baker Mayfield rattled all afternoon long.
The Rookie Unleashed
Man, when you talk about making an instant impact, Howell wrote the playbook. Four pressures from a rookie in his first game? That’s not just good, that’s game-changing. It was clear the Bucs had their hands full, especially with Dexter Lawrence causing chaos in the middle. That opened things up for Howell, who, like Boye Mafe and other edge rushers, was just getting after it on the edges, turning solo attention into pure dominance. Forget about him being a rookie; the kid played like a seasoned pro, showing everyone why those early whispers about his potential were legitimate. This wasn’t some quiet introduction; this was a loud, in-your-face statement that Howell is here to play.
The Draft Day Mystery That Paid Off Big
Honestly, the fact that Cashius Howell even ended up on the Bengals roster is still blowing minds around the league. The front office admitted they were ready to snatch him up in the first round, yet somehow, he slid all the way to them in the second. How does that even happen? Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who also had an All-Pro like breakout himself in that win, couldn’t believe it either. He told ESPN’s Ben Baby straight up, “I don’t know he fell to us in the second round. I don’t know how that was possible. But I’m very glad he’s on our team. He’s going to be a great, great addition for us.” Mims is a guy who knows talent, and his shock really highlights what a steal Howell looks like right now. It’s a massive talking point about draft strategy across the league, especially when you compare Howell’s immediate college production to his college teammate Shemar Stewart’s immense upside. For the Bengals, though? That discussion is almost irrelevant now. They got their guy, and he’s already delivering on that promise.
Howell has clearly hit on an early breakout, and that defense, built around Dexter Lawrence, just proved its concept works. If Howell, Shemar Stewart, Boye Mafe, and those other edge guys can keep rotating and stay effective all season, man, that’s going to go a long way towards a serious playoff push for the Bengals. They’ve got something special brewing, and Howell is right in the thick of it. Let’s see if they keep that energy going!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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