Who's going to light a competitive fire under the Cincinnati Bengals' collective rears entering Week 5? If it ain't head coach Zac Taylor, perhaps superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is the man for the job.
Chase is admittedly not the most vocal player. Similar to his college and professional QB1 Joe Burrow, the reigning Triple Crown-winning wideout lets his play do the talking for the most part.
But now that Burrow is sidelined, Chase is stepping up in that regard. For someone whose words carry a lot of weight when he does sound off, the latest public-facing statement Chase made toward his teammates could be galvanizing force for Sunday and thereafter.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase wants to see "anger" and "passion" from teammates in Week 5 and beyond
As Cincinnati braces to host Dan Campbell's kneecap-biting Detroit Lions, who've averaged over 41 points per game during a three-game winning streak, Ja'Marr Chase is hoping to harness some of that signature Campbell energy into his fellow Bengals.
While Chase was discussing Week 4's 28-3 loss to the Denver Broncos and his heated sideline with Taylor, he emphasized how important it is for players to express themselves — even at the cost of emotions in the moment. The implication is that they should be angry when the team isn't playing close to good enough, via CLNSCincy.com's Mike Petraglia:
"I don't mind when the players get mad. I don't. I don't mind that because that means they care. I want guys to play with passion. I want them to play with anger because you never know how guys may respond. I told my guys that recently, after the game, I just want them to play a little more fire and anger."
Since he began his career in Cincinnati, Chase has grown accustomed to early-season adversity that precedes him going on an absolute tear.
For someone who just had over 1,7000 receiving yards in 2024, it's clear that through the first month Chase isn't producing anywhere near that clip. However, bear in mind that in the opening four games of last season, he managed only 19 catches for 300 yards, compared to 26 for 264 this year.
The volume is still there for Chase to shine. It's a question of whether Burrow's backup, Jake Browning, can be consistent enough to feed him. Browning needs a spark in his own right, and Chase delivering this message could be addressed as much to Browning as anyone else on the team.
But as we know, talk is cheap in the NFL and in any sport really. If the Bengals come out flat against the Lions and get dominated, anything Chase or any Cincinnati players have to say afterwards won't matter until the on-field actions match up.
At least for now, however, Who Dey Nation can cling to the hope present in Chase's words. A player of his caliber taking more ownership of a troublesome situation can only help the cause.