Ja’Marr Chase’s confidence from over 3 months ago looks completely valid after his record-breaking game against Steelers
Ja’Marr Chase popped off against the Steelers just like he planned.
Ja’Marr Chase’s triple crown 2024 season had the Pittsburgh Steelers feeling urgent this offseason. Darius Slay was signed in free agency, Jalen Ramsey was traded for in the dead period between minicamp and training camp. Joey Porter Jr. was already in the building developing.
Pittsburgh acted, and Chase reacted. The Cincinnati Bengals’ No. 1 wideout threw shade at the Steelers retooling their secondary right after the Ramsey trade went through.
“Every week it gets better and better,” Chase tweeted on June 30.
Chase wasn’t bothered at what Pittsburgh was doing, and Thursday night proved he didn’t have to be.
Ja’Marr Chase backs up his confidence against Steelers
The Bengals defeated the Steelers 33-31 on “Thursday Night Football” thanks in part to Chase’s phenomenal game. 23 of Joe Flacco’s 47 passes went to Chase, which is already an insane stat, but Chase did insane things with those targets. The 25-year old caught 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown during Cincinnati’s victorious evening.
16 catches broke his previous franchise record of 15 from two seasons ago. 161 yards is the eighth-most he’s ever had in a game, but the most he’s ever racked up in a full game without Joe Burrow.
No matter if it was against man or zone coverage, Chase torched the Steelers’ secondary with Flacco throwing him the ball.
The icing on the cake was that he posted these numbers against pretty much everyone in Pittsburgh’s defensive backfield. Ramsey himself allowed the touchdown along with a handful of other receptions, Slay allowed four of five targets to be completed, according to Pro Football Focus, and not a single Steeler forced an incompletion against him.
It was a clinic the All-Pro put on for the entire country to watch, and none of it was a surprise for him.
“They did exactly what we was expecting and hoping they’d do,” Chase said of Pittsburgh’s defense after the game.
The Bengals have had to shore up their offensive line to counter the elite pass-rushers in their own division, including Steelers OLB T.J. Watt. Chase is the WR equivalent, and Pittsburgh’s offseason investment to stop him did not yield a good return this week.
Chase and Cincinnati will get another chance to put on a show against the Steelers in Week 11 when the Bengals travel to Pittsburgh coming off their bye week.
Cincinnati Bengals News
Ja’Marr Chase gives himself a challenge to jumpstart Tee Higgins in Bengals’ offense going forward
Honest advice from Chase.
