There are several things that the Cincinnati Bengals need to improve upon if they want to pull out a win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. They could definitely do a better job of defending against the run, and also of establishing their own ground game, as they've been abysmal in both areas so far this season. The other thing that they unequivocally have to do is get star wide receiver Ja'marr Chase more involved on offense.
Chase only got 11 targets in the first two games of the season
It might be a little too much to say that Chase has been a non-factor through the first two games of the season, but he's been close. Here are his stats from the first two contests of the 2024 season:
Opponent | Catches | Yards | Targets | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Patriots | 6 | 62 | 6 | 0 |
Chiefs | 4 | 35 | 5 | 0 |
To say that those stats don't jump off of the page would be an understatement. Keep in mind, this is the top receiver on the team and one of the best pass-catchers in the entire NFL. There's absolutely no reason for him to get just 11 total targets over a two-game span, even if he did voluntarily miss the entirety of training camp and preseason play. If he's out on the field he should be featured in the offense, plain and simple.
The fact that Chase only got 11 targets in the first two games is especially egregious considering the fact that Tee Higgins, Cincinnati's second-best receiver, didn't play in either game due to a hamstring injury. With Higgins out, Chase should have seen his workload increased, not diminished.
It's not like Chase needs some elaborate playcalls to be productive, either. He's one of the better yards-after-catch guys in the league; just get him to ball with a bit of space and let him operate.
The good news for the Bengals is that the Commanders haven't been great against the pass so far this season, as they gave up 455 yards through the air in the first two games of the season, and they didn't face a receiver as good as Chase or a quarterback as good as Burrow.
Hopefully Cincinnati can use the game against Washington as an opportunity to unlock Chase and allow him to put up the numbers that we've grown accustomed to seeing from him.