Injury Bug Bites Bengals and Falcons as Cashius Howell Heads to IR
Zac Taylor says CB DJ Turner is day-to-day and Cashius Howell is likely headed to IR.
Ian Rapoport just dropped an injury update that reads like a cursed group chat message for both the and .
For , head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell is likely heading to injured reserve with a wrist issue, while cornerback is day-to-day with a heel injury. Losing Howell is a brutal blow for a defense that just gave up 36 points in a shootout win over the . The second-round pick racked up 11.5 sacks at Texas A&M last year, and you do not just easily replace that kind of twitchy athleticism on the edge.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are shutting down 10-year veteran defensive lineman Samson Ebukam and receiver Zachariah Branch for the week with matching hamstring injuries. just got completely blanked 16-0 by the . Subtracting a seasoned pass rusher and a speedy wideout from a roster that just forgot how to score is not exactly a recipe for a bounce-back game.
In a truly incredible twist, Rapoport attributed the news to " coach Kevin Stefanski," which either means we missed a massive, secret coaching carousel update or the NFL scriptwriters are just getting lazy. Either way, the reality on the field is that is down two key pieces when they desperately need a spark.
From a market perspective, when a team loses a high-upside rookie pass rusher and has a starting corner limping, the over suddenly looks a lot more appealing to the public. just played a 79-point game against , and missing defensive depth is exactly how you end up in another exhausting track meet.
For now, the Bengals will have to patch their defensive rotation without their second-round pick, and the have to figure out how to move the chains without Branch stretching the field. We will see if can heal up in time for Sunday, but Howell's wrist means his breakout rookie campaign is officially on pause.