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Cashius Howell Reciprocates Boye Mafe's Love: 'Glad That He Was Able to Eat'
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- Cashius Howell Reciprocates Boye Mafe's Love: 'Glad That He Was Able to Eat'
Boye Mafe notched his fourth sack of the season as the Cincinnati Bengals handed the Baltimore Ravens a 35-13 rout . But the veteran pass rusher was more interested in talking about rookie defensive end Cashius Howell, who had just closed out the fourth quarter by dropping Tyler Huntley for the first sack of his NFL career.
"Stats don't mean anything. At the end of the day, I just want to win," Mafe said . "To see Cash get that first one, that's what it's all about. He works his tail off every single day, and he's going to be a problem in this league."
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For Howell, hearing that kind of validation from a veteran who has been through the NFL grinder meant everything. The 2026 second-round pick shared his feelings about Mafe's comments on Thursday.
"I was just talking with him earlier about that," Howell said . "I'm just so thankful to have a guy like that in my corner, and like he said, he doesn't really care about his stuff. It's honestly the same thing. I don't really even care that I got my sack."
"I'm just glad that he was able to eat, and I know that he's put in a lot of work, and he has just a lot of intentionality coming into this game. So I'm just glad to see him go crazy too."
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Howell added that Mafe's unselfish approach sends a clear message to the entire defense that individual stats and accolades matter less than working together to make plays and win as a team. That mindset shows why Cincinnati's front seven has emerged as one of the most efficient defensive units in the AFC North through seven weeks.
The Chemistry Behind the Sacks
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Boye Mafe (53) defensive end Cashius Howell (55) pressure Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) in the pocket in the second quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. The game was tied at 17 at halftime.
For a rookie, adjusting to NFL offensive tackles can be overwhelming. Howell, selected 41st overall out of Texas A&M, had to fight for rotational snaps on an aggressive front built around physical trench play. Having Mafe, the 40th pick back in 2022 who walked a similar underdog path from college to the pros, serving as an active mentor has fast-tracked the rookie's development.
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Mafe came over in free agency after a Super Bowl run in Seattle and embraced the role of big brother. When rushers buy into rushing as a synchronized four-man wave rather than freelancing for individual numbers, quarterbacks have nowhere to step up.
The numbers back it up. Cincinnati enters Week 8 pressuring opposing quarterbacks on 39.1% of dropbacks, tied for seventh in the NFL. When Huntley scrambled right in Baltimore, Mafe squeezed the pocket from the backside, leaving Huntley with nowhere to go and letting Howell clean up the wreckage.
It's expected to be another backfield party on Sunday when the Bengals host the struggling Tennessee Titans .
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
