Receiver expert predicts franchise-record season for Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase
Only six receivers in NFL history scored more touchdowns in their first two regular seasons than Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase. The former fifth-overall pick and two-time Pro Bowler has had possession of the ball in the end zone 22 times in just 29 regular season games. 22 in two seasons is quite a lot; […]
Only six receivers in NFL history scored more touchdowns in their first two regular seasons than Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase. The former fifth-overall pick and two-time Pro Bowler has had possession of the ball in the end zone 22 times in just 29 regular season games.
22 in two seasons is quite a lot; it's the most any Bengals receiver has had to start their career in that timeframe.
18 in one season would not only be absurd amount, it would be a franchise record. One expert thinks Chase can do it.
Yahoo! Sports' Matt Harmon, creator of the esteemed Reception Perception project that focuses on contextualizing how and where wide receivers succeed beyond box score production, put in on record that Chase will drop 18 big ones during the 2023 season.
'I think Ja'Marr Chase scores 18+ touchdowns this year," Harmon said. "I think we haven't even seen the best of Ja'Marr Chase yet, which is crazy. And I think this year could be the best we see of him, and he gets those 18 touchdowns."
The current Bengals record is actually as close as it can get to 18. Carl Pickens hauled in 17 touchdowns during the 1995 season as he helped carry that team to a 7-9 record.
Not only would 18 touchdowns for Chase break Pickens' record, he would join an exclusive all-time list as the sixth receiver to score 18 touchdowns in one year. Mark Clayton (18, 1984), Jerry Rice (22, 1987), Sterling Sharpe (18, 1994), Randy Moss (23, 2007), and Davante Adams (18, 2020) are the only receivers to ever accomplish the feat.
There are more historical implications here as well. For four of those five players, their teams won at least 13 games in those respective years, including the 16-0 New England Patriots of '07. Sharpe's '94 Green Bay Packers won nine games and still made the playoffs as well. The catch? None of them won the Super Bowl.
A specific statistical achievement like this doesn't have much significant correlation to any result, but the common denominator is their teams were very successful in getting to the postseason.
Chase has posted seasons of 13 touchdowns (as a rookie) and nine during his second season in which he played just 12 games. If he ends up averaging more touchdowns than games played, you better believe the Bengals will be sitting pretty when the playoffs arrive.
NFL writer predicts Bengals emulating a legendary team
This would be a historic scenario.
Featured image via © Kareem Elgazzar / USA TODAY NETWORK
