While Ja’Marr Chase’s separated shoulder might keep him benched for another week, the star WR has still managed to get on several football fans’ nerves. Ahead of the matchup against their biggest conference rivals, the Chiefs, Chase made it known that there’s ‘nothing’ special with Kansas City’s secondary.
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The Bengals wide receiver felt that the defending champs were only able to defeat them, as they were well acquainted with his team’s strategies. He further added that the Chiefs effectively neutralize the Bengals’ passing plays by doubling down on key players, and the list includes Chase himself. The defending champs might have a solid unit that gets the job down, but to Ja’Marr Chase’s eyes, their secondary is nothing special, and it’s not like they have a CB like Jalen Ramsey.
“They just know how to play us. They know the leverages, what splits we in,” Chase said. “They know what we are going to do in certain moments and they throw a lot of double-doubles at us to stop the two best players on our side. That’s all they do. It’s not like they got Jalen Ramsey on their squad.”
Chase didn’t back down and asserted that people are free to use it or interpret it however they want. He sees it as merely stating facts. In his view, their standout defensive player is L’Jarius Sneed, who has come back to the CB room as younger draft picks didn’t yield any results. The Bengals wideout said,
“I know what I see on paper, I know what I see in the game. That’s why they double everybody because they can’t do one-on-one,” followed by, “The best player on their team is Sneed.”
Chase has played against the Chiefs twice in his career and recorded 18 receptions for 363 yards with 3 touchdowns, as per Stat Muse. So, it’s understandable where his confidence is coming from. The upcoming bout has great implications for both teams, as the Bengals need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while a win for Kansas guarantees them a spot in the postseason.
Both teams go into the game on the back of losses. When asked about an SB-winning emerging talent, Bryan Cook from the Chiefs, Chase acted like he didn’t know who it was.
Ja’Marr Chase Denies Knowing Chiefs Emerging Safety
In the interview, the star wideout claimed to be unaware of the name of the Chiefs’ emerging safety, Bryan Cook. Chase tried to identify the Chiefs’ star by his jersey number, which didn’t sit well with many. One fan even quipped that Chase talks in such a way that it’s like he has won two or three Super Bowls when, in reality, he has no rings.
Cook has actually played against the Bengals in the postseason when the Chiefs defeated them in the AFC Championship game to reach the final.
The Chiefs have ruled both the AFC and the league for the last few seasons but at the same time, they have struggled to retain key players in both offense and defense. In recent seasons, notable departures include the likes of 2019 Team MVP Safety Tyrann Mathieu, 49ers star Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton, Frank Clark, and Juan Thornhill.
Following last week’s loss against the Raiders, the defending champs now stand at 9-6. While they are still positioned to advance to the playoffs, one more win is essential to securing their spot as the top AFC West seed. This season’s six losses mark the highest number they’ve endured since drafting Mahomes. Despite their playoff potential, they’ve been eliminated from contention for the top seed in the AFC, meaning they will have to compete on the road, another thing they haven’t done until now in the Mahomes era.
On the other hand, the Bengals’ playoff hopes took a hit with their recent loss to the Steelers. Currently sitting at 8-7, they now face a challenging scenario with only a 23% chance of making the postseason, as per NFL.com. Winning their remaining 2 games is imperative to keeping playoff dreams alive.
