Ja’Marr Chase made sure on Sunday that his rivalry with Kansas City would not fizzle out. Following Cincinnati’s 25-17 defeat to the Chiefs, which dashed the Bengals’ playoff hopes, Chase didn’t shy away from taking jabs at the Kansas City defense.
In the second quarter, Chase received an unnecessary roughness penalty for a skirmish with Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed after a play. Post-game, Chase claimed credit for instigating the conflict with Cincinnati’s AFC rivals, stating, “I started it off. Their whole defense was mad at me. It started at the beginning of the game. You’ve seen it. Everybody’s seen it. That’s just what I like to do.”
Regarding his clash with Sneed, Chase remarked, “I just like to get under people’s skin sometimes. Motherf—er won’t fight me.” Despite finishing the game with 3 catches for 41 yards, he was lined up against Sneed for 61.8% of his routes, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Chase, who played after recovering from a right shoulder injury, expressed his determination to play, telling coach Zac Taylor he wanted to keep Cincinnati’s postseason hopes alive. Admitting he was at 70% health, he acknowledged a limited role in the game plan due to his condition.
The situation changed when wide receiver Tee Higgins suffered a left hamstring injury, and despite reaggravating it, he returned to aid the Bengals in their playoff race. Chase’s decision to play against Kansas City followed his midweek comments about their defense, where he suggested they lacked defensive superstars.
Reflecting on the game, Chase noted that the Chiefs’ defense covered him as expected, with extra attention focused on him and Higgins. While the Bengals led 17-13 at halftime, they were held scoreless in the second half. Chase expressed a desire for the team to have kicked a field goal at a crucial moment in the third quarter, but coach Taylor defended the decision to go for it.
Despite acknowledging the Chiefs’ strong defensive front, Chase wasn’t overly generous in praising them, stating, “They got a good (defensive) front. That’s it.”
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