4 things we learned from Bengals’ Week 18 loss to Browns
By Aaron Burd
Ja’Marr Chase had the best season for a wide receiver in franchise history
It’s official: Ja’Marr Chase broke the Bengals’ single-season franchise record for receiving yards in a single season, finishing with 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. In doing so, Chase had a better season than Bengals’ legends Chad Johnson and A.J. Green had ever had for the franchise, and the most ridiculous part is that he did it as a rookie, after sitting out his final year of college.
When Chase was drafted by the Bengals he made a bold statement: he said that he was going to break every record that Johnson and Green held. Initially, this was a declaration that was criticized by many.
Zac on Chase: When we drafted him he said he was gonna break all the records. He's put himself in position to do that by becoming a professional from Day 1. We want our best players to have our best work ethic. Ja'Marr has been that for us.
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) January 9, 2022
After his rookie year, no one is criticizing Chase anymore. He talked the talk when he was drafted, and now he’s walking the walk. Chase took the first step toward following through on his promise this season by breaking Johnson’s single-season receiving record, and with many years ahead of him in Cincinnati, he’s not going to stop there.
The Bengals let Chase play for the two drives needed to get his record before sitting him, and even in a limited capacity, he stood out as the best player on the field. To get Chase over Johnson on the season, Zac Taylor schemed up a screen pass to his rookie receiver who made defenders miss and turned it into a 24 yard gain.
Chase’s deep-ball ability has drawn the most praise, but his yard after the catch ability has been dominant as well. With this one play, Chase showed why he’s so dangerous after the catch.
However, Chase does not have time to sit back and reflect on his historic season. With the playoffs on the horizon, Chase’s connection with quarterback Joe Burrow will be the key to a potential Super Bowl run. With how dominant he’s been this season, don’t count him and the Bengals out.
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These were just a few of the things we learned in Cincy’s regular-season finale.