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Cincinnati Bengals rookie Ja’Marr Chase isn’t off to the hot start most envisioned.
After starting slower than anticipated in training camp, the fifth-overall pick this year hit Cincinnati’s second preseason game on Friday night and dropped three passes.
That’s a bit of an oversimplification, as footing, traffic and momentum played a role in the drops. But it’s not something the Bengals or fans probably expected to see from Chase, especially with one of those drops coming on a third-and-8 attempt.
And yet, this is hardly the biggest deal in the world for Chase or the Bengals. He hasn’t played football for more than a year after opting out of last season. The slow start in camp wasn’t concerning and neither are a case of the drops after they’ve never been an issue otherwise in his career.
Zac Taylor spoke on this very subject, per The Athletic’s Jay Morrison:
Zac Taylor was asked Wednesday whether he is concerned by all of the Chase drops: pic.twitter.com/1llGMHxRGj
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) August 21, 2021
One other thing to keep in mind about Friday night — Chase just doesn’t seem to have a good connection with Brandon Allen. The timing was off, which makes sense if he’s usually working with the ones in practice with Joe Burrow under center.
In short, it’s not time to panic on Chase. The preseason is for cleaning up these types of issues and knocking the rust off.
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