Cashius Howell entered the Cincinnati Bengals' preseason opener as one of the biggest stories of training camp. By the middle of the second quarter against Detroit, the rookie edge rusher was beginning to show why.
In a span of fewer than six minutes, Howell recovered a fumble in the red zone, blew past Detroit's left tackle badly enough to require help from a running back, drove that same tackle backward into the quarterback, and then used a spin move to share a sack with Kris Jenkins Jr.; we'll see if any box score adjustments actually give him credit for it. They should!
The production was encouraging amid an impressive training camp for the second-round pick to date. The variety might have been even more important. Howell didn't spend Thursday night winning the same way over and over again, and these three plays showed why Cincinnati may have something much more interesting than another speed rusher.
Play No. 1 – Howell’s speed forces Detroit to send help
Howell’s first impressive pass rush rep didn’t end with a sack. It ended with Detroit needing a second blocker to keep him away from the quarterback.
From the moment the ball is snapped, Howell has a step on the left tackle, beating him inside to the B-Gap. Luckily for Detroit’s QB Josh Dobbs, the running back was able to step up into the lane and help block Howell, who has already affected the offense.
Forcing the RB to come in for the block eliminates the ability to release out into the flat or run a checkdown route.
A pass rusher doesn’t have to reach the quarterback to win a rep. If Howell can force offenses to consistently devote a second blocker to him, Cincinnati wins somewhere else.
Play No. 2 – Howell turns speed into power
With 5:55 to go in the second quarter, the same left tackle that Howell blows by in play No. 1 gets beaten a second time.
Just a few minutes after threatening Detroit around the edge, Howell showed he didn’t need to run around the left tackle to affect the quarterback. This time, he went directly through him.
Howell got into the tackle's frame, generated enough power to walk him backward, and compressed the pocket from the quarterback’s blind side, causing him to maneuver out of the pocket before resetting to make his throw.
Speed makes the tackle hurry. Power punishes him for hurrying. Howell showed Detroit both in a matter of minutes.
In this particular play, Detroit was able to complete a pass, but if Howell can keep that type of pressure on the tackles, that will work in his favor to create timing issues for the quarterback.
Shoving a tackle back into their quarterback will not only cause the timing to be off, but it will affect his footwork, force him to go through progressions faster, and will most likely throw off his accuracy. None of which is shown in a box score.
Play No. 3 – The spin move shows Howell already has a counter
Howell saved his most complete pass-rush win for last. After spending much of the quarter forcing Detroit's left tackle to worry about his speed and power, the rookie used that aggression against him.
And less than 70 seconds after driving the left tackle backward, Howell attacked the tackle before spinning back around him and arriving at the quarterback alongside Kris Jenkins Jr.
While Kris Jenkins Jr. was credited with the sack, Howell still proved that he has the ability to get into the backfield.
Why is this important? Well, this is the NFL, and tackles usually adapt. They can learn Howell’s speed. They can anchor against his power. But if Howell can recognize how they’re blocking him and transition into counters? A counter move is what can keep NFL tackles from figuring him out.
Howell's fumble recovery showed something different
Howell’s most obvious contribution actually came before any of those pass-rush reps. With 10:21 remaining in the second quarter, he recovered a Detroit fumble, giving Cincinnati the ball inside its own red zone.
There isn’t much technique to dissect on a recovery, but being around the football matters, especially for a rookie trying to prove he can affect games in more ways than one.
The next six minutes showed why the Bengals should be even more encouraged.
One preseason quarter doesn’t prove Cashius Howell is ready to terrorize NFL offensive tackles when the games count. Detroit will study these reps, better tackles will adjust, and Howell will eventually have to counter those adjustments.
That’s also why Thursday night was so encouraging.
Howell didn’t beat Detroit's left tackle the same way three times. He threatened him with speed, walked him backward with power, and eventually spun around him to get to the quarterback.
The Bengals already knew Cashius Howell could rush the passer. His preseason debut offered the first indication that they may already know how to do it more than one way.
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