There are only a handful of players in the NFL who have the ability to warp the game on their own. Coordinators spend the entire week game-planning against these players, crafting their schemes just to counter them. The Cincinnati Bengals are blessed with having one such player in Ja'Marr Chase. Considered to be the best wide receiver in the league by some, Chase's game-breaking skill set makes him one of the most terrifying offensive threats in the league.
As fans, we're used to seeing Chase's greatness be reflected in the box score. Ten catches in one game. 100-yard performances (usually against the Baltimore Ravens). However, Week 7 showed that Chase's game-warping presence can be seen outside of his stat line as well. The proof lies in his running mate: Tee Higgins.
Tee Higgins benefitting from Ja'Marr Chase's gravity
Higgins has been on a tear to start the 2026 season. Through six games, the Bengals star already has 33 receptions for 571 yards and two touchdowns. He's reached 90 yards in four of his six games and he's been generally unstoppable this season.
Saying that Tee Higgins is breaking out this season would be slightly misleading. That's because Higgins has always shown that he's not your average WR2. On most teams, Higgins would comfortable slot in as their WR1. This season, though, Higgins is getting more and more opportunities to show off his talents, and that's thanks in large part to Chase's gravity on the field.
That was clearly visible in Week 7, when the Bengals took on the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens know all too well what Chase can do to them. He's gone for over 100 yards in his last four games against Baltimore, including a monster 17-catch, 264-yard performance two years ago. Because of that, Baltimore was clearly wary of Chase in Week 7.
The Bengals knew this, and they let Tee run rampant. Benjamin Solak did an excellent deep dive on the Bengals' second-half comeback against the Ravens, and he highlighted, in particular, how Chase drew the attention of multiple defenders.
Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins went off in the second half against the Ravens...but it was all about the gravity of Ja'Marr Chase pic.twitter.com/cyLzfLf6yu
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) October 26, 2026
If the Ravens game-planned to limit Chase specifically, they did an excellent job on that front. Chase logged "just" five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. It's still a good statline, but it's miles better than the 100-yard games they've given up to the star in previous years. However, their attention on Chase just allowed Higgins to run rampant against them. Higgins caught six passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.
Joe Burrow's favorite throw is a go-ball thrown to either Chase and Higgins, allowing either wide receiver to beat their man. With a double team on Chase most nights, those opportunities are rare for the Bengals. However, that attention has allowed Higgins to feast on his opponent in isolation.
A strategy that more teams are employing this season is sticking their CB2 on their opponent's WR1 and "bracketing" him with a safety or a linebacker. The CB1 is then free to hound their WR2, who is often a tier below the top wide receiver. That works on most teams, but most teams aren't the Bengals, who have two bona-fide #1 receivers.
Higgins isn't the only benefactor from this attention. Drew Sample and Erick All Jr got a lot of easy touches underneath that kept the Bengals' offense on schedule. Dohnte Meyers, Mitchell Tinsley, and Chase Brown are also getting more touches. They say that a rising tide raises all boats, and right now, Chase is the tide that's keeping Cincinnati's ship cruising through this season.
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