Zac Taylor responds to postgame comments from Ja'Marr Chase after loss to Chargers

Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase turned some heads when he seemingly called out Bengals head coach Zac Taylor after Cincinnati's 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football.

When asked how the Bengals could start closing out games as opposed to dropping them, Chase pointed the finger directly at Taylor.

"I don't know," Chase said. "Ask Zac. Ask the coaches. Don't ask me. That's not my job. ... I play football on the field, I don't call plays for us."

Zac Taylor not bothered by Ja'Marr Chase seemingly calling him out after loss

Many wondered how that quote from Chase would be received in the locker room, and by Taylor specifically. As it turns out, Taylor is fine with the star receiver speaking his mind, and even applauded him for doing so.

“He's a guy that is one of the most genuine players I've ever been around and honest, insightful, puts it all out there for us,” Taylor said of Chase. “I don't have problems with guys that work as hard as they do, speaking with emotion after the game, speaking with passion. ... He and I are very much on the same page and appreciate the work he puts in and sometimes postgame it's emotional, and that's the way it is."

Taylor also made sure to emphasize the fact that he throughly enjoys working with Chase, and is very glad that the star receiver plays for the black-and-orange, and not another team.

“Love working with him. Thankful that he's on our team,” Taylor said. “Love everything he brings to the table. Love the energy he brings, and (he) just wants to win. We all want to win, and you put a lot of pressure on yourself. And when you don't, it can lead to frustration. But I feel very confident we're on the same page and we'll be good going forward.”

So, there you have it. No big drama. No big locker room blowout. Just a coach and a star receiver who both realize that the team needs to be better. Credit to Taylor for being able to take the public criticism in stride and move forward, and credit to Chase for not being afraid to speak his mind for the good of the team. Hopefully the two are indeed able to get on the same page and finish the season strong for fans in Cincinnati.