Why wasn’t Ja’Marr Chase targeted more in the Bengals’ Week 1 loss to Patriots?

Looking at the slate for Week 1, one has to imagine that few, if any, would have picked the New England Patriots to get a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Yet, that’s exactly what happened, and at Paycor Stadium no less. Needless to say, the inquest has begun and the team’s star wide receiver had a rather frank response about one eyebrow-raising aspect of the defeat, his lack of targets.

The Patriots upset the Bengals who upset Ja’Marr Chase

Sunday saw a slew of games on the slate for Week 1 but perhaps none were more surprising than the Bengals’ 16-10 loss to the Patriots. Consider for a moment that the Pats finished 4-13 last season, while the Bengals ended on 9-8. Of course, as we all know, it’s about any given Sunday and in review it was not Cincinnati’s. In what was quarterback Joe Burrow’s first game since undergoing season-ending surgery last November, the Bengals’ offense looked out of step.

Understandably, the idea that Burrow’s go-to-guy Ja’Marr Chase was featuring for the first time since holding out for a new contract during the entire offseason, only added to the situation. On the other hand, it’s not to say that Chase played badly. He just simply wasn’t used a whole lot. In total, Chase registered 62 yards on six targets as the Bengals generated just 224 yards of total offense in the loss. Not what you would expect when considering the kind of hype that surrounded Burrow’s return. Quite frankly, the Bengals did not secure a first down until midway through the second quarter. What’s more, is that the team was only able to complete one touchdown drive in the entire game. Credit must be given to the Pats’ stingy defense - see above - but still, the scenario begs a question.

To that end, a question was in fact asked and it was posed to Chase himself who, it must be said, was a late inclusion in the game after initially being placed on the injury report due to illness. Questioned on why he only saw six targets, the fourth-year pass catcher was blunt in his response. “You gotta ask Zac [Taylor],” Chase said. The 24-year-old also disclosed that he had suffered food poisoning on Saturday, the apparent reason for his injury designation. Now, without taking too much from his few words, one can assume that Ja’Marr Chase was not happy. Was his lack of service intentional? That seems unlikely but so too is the idea that it was tactical. If he wasn’t up to the task, then why play him?

Regardless, the Bengals do have a history of slow starts as evidenced by their 1-5 record under head coach Zac Taylor in season openers. That said, the team will have to bounce back from this loss very quickly, with their next game being against the defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs. As for Chase, there has been no official word on when/if an extension will be offered but as one of the best wideouts in the league, one has to believe a payday is in everybody’s interest. Even more so when considering the way the wide receiver market has moved this offseason with the likes of Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb receiving huge contracts. Watch this space.