Tag: Ja’Marr Chase

Najee Harris was a man possessed in Steelers’ Week 13 victory

Najee Harris led all skill position players in Week 13 with 129 total yards and a TD, showcasing elite form in a standout performance.

Fans of the hard-nosed, Pittsburgh-style running game, rejoice! Najee Harris turned back the clock to his rookie season as he showcased his elite receiving skills, run-after-the-catch ability, downhill physical running, and elusiveness all at once in Week 13. Harris not only led all running backs in the Steelers-Bengals matchup in rushing, but he also accumulated more total yards than any skill position player from either team: 129 total yards and 1 TD.

In a game featuring elite, talented receivers and running backs such as Steelers WR George Pickens, Bengals WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown, it was Harris who shined the brightest.

Harris is currently in a contract year with Pittsburgh, after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option, and he appears determined to make a statement with a career resurgence in 2024. Ideally, the Steelers would love to keep Harris in the Black and Gold forever, as fans of the Steel City would undoubtedly appreciate—especially if his elite Week 13 performance becomes the new norm in Pittsburgh.

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Steelers CB Donte Jackson excited to face fellow LSU alumni in Week 13

Steelers CB Donte Jackson admires LSU alumni Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 13 matchup with Cincinnati.

The LSU brotherhood appears to be running strong. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are bitter rivals, CB Donte Jackson, who dons the Black and Gold, admires the impressive start fellow LSU alumni Bengals QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase have had to their NFL careers.

During media availability leading up to the Steelers’ Week 13 contest against the Bengals, Jackson spoke highly of both Chase and Burrow but specifically highlighted what makes Burrow so special: his “killer instinct.”

Reporters jokingly asked if Jackson spoke so highly of the two because of his ties to LSU, and the Steelers CB had one simple response: “Go Tigers.”

While Jackson admires the younger generations of great LSU talent, his admiration will quickly shift to determination, especially when he likely faces Chase directly in a few matchups. Fans can witness the action when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Ja’Marr Chase makes surprising admission about Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase might surprise fans with this take about Steelers star Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase had a rather infamous gesture aimed at Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick not too long ago.

But fast forward to Week 13 before the Bengals play the Steelers, Chase actually had quite the admission about Fitzpatrick.

There, Chase said the following, according to WCPO’s Caleb Noe: “Minkah’s not even ranked on my ‘most hated’ list.”

But as expected, Chase wouldn’t actually name his most-hated list. Given the battles they have had over the years, it’s pretty surprising to think Fitzpatrick doesn’t crack the list. One would think he and a few guys from spots like Cleveland and Kansas City qualify for premium spots.

But who knows? Maybe as the Bengals fight for their lives on Sunday, Fitzpatrick will work his way onto it. Either way, the latest AFC North battle should be a bitter one.

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Evan McPherson reveals surprising No. 1 defender in Bengals locker room

The top Bengals player who has Evan McPherson’s back is one of the biggest names on the team.

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson has had a brutal season so far, which has been a pretty good sign of how things have gone overall for the team.

But McPherson’s getting some support from key pieces within the locker room.

After the bye week, McPherson revealed that he’s actually apologized to guys like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase for letting them down. In the process, he also revealed that it’s Chase who has come to his defense the most.

“I like to apologize to those guys because those guys play their tail off and for me not to come through at the end, it really sucks,” McPherson said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “We give each other a hard time even if we’re struggling. He’s just a good guy. A good supportive teammate. He told me he’s always going to support me good or bad, win or lose. He’s always going to be there for me. I really appreciate that guy. Really good teammate.” …

It’s a really cool peek behind the curtain. Unsurprising but cool — players, like fans, understand that one player alone shouldn’t get all the blame or praise for wins and losses.

While it’s easy to speculate that things might not be great in the Bengals’ locker room right now (no matter what Zac Taylor is doing with ping-pong tables), this sort of comment shows otherwise.

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Steelers-Bengals matchups to watch: Joey Porter Jr. vs Ja’Marr Chase

Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. faces a tall task in Week 13 as he takes on Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase in a key AFC North matchup.

After Week 12’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers are itching to enact revenge on another AFC North rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. One matchup that could very well decide the outcome of the Week 13 contest will be Steelers’ CB Joey Porter Jr. taking on Bengals’ WR Ja’Marr Chase.

Porter Jr. has had mixed results throughout the 2024 season, delivering elite shutdown performances in some games while allowing significant receiving yards in others. JPJ has allowed zero touchdowns this season but has also given up a less-than-ideal 13.3 yards per reception and a subpar 92.2 passer rating when targeted.

JPJ will have his hands full in Week 13, as Chase currently leads the NFL in both receiving yards and touchdowns, with 1,056 yards and 12 touchdowns, respectively. Chase is also averaging an impressive 14.5 yards per reception, which could pose a challenge for the Steelers’ young CB.

While Porter Jr. got the better of Chase last season when the two teams met, the Bengals’ star receiver is putting together his best season to date. JPJ versus Chase will not disappoint, and fans can look forward to this Week 13 matchup on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Flashback: Revisiting LSU’s last meeting with Oklahoma in 2019 playoff

LSU will hope for a repeat of its last meeting with Oklahoma on Saturday night

In its regular-season finale, LSU football hosts Oklahoma on Saturday for a primetime game.

The Sooners come in high off an upset 21-point victory over No. 7 Alabama and a 6-5 record, qualifying for a bowl game.

The last time LSU and Oklahoma faced off came in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

In a game that featured two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and several high-profile skill players, the Tigers blew out the Sooners 63-28 en route to winning the national championship under head coach [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag].

[autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] led LSU with seven touchdowns and 493 receiving yards. He finished as the third-leading rusher with 21 yards behind Chris Curry (16 carries for 90 yards) and Tyrion Davis-Price (four carries for 25 yards).

[autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] totaled four touchdowns and 227 receiving yards. [autotag]Terrace Marshall Jr[/autotag]. (80 receiving yards) hauled in two touchdowns and [autotag]Thaddeus Moss[/autotag] (99 receiving yards) found the end zone once. [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] finished with 39 yards as each of the Tigers’ top four receivers caught a pass of 30+ yards.

The Sooners, quarterbacked by Jalen Hurts, scored on four runs. Running backs Kennedy Brooks and TJ Pledger each totaled one score while Hurts used his legs twice for two touchdowns.

Hurts finished with 217 yards through the air and 43 yards on the ground. He threw one interception and connected with CeeDee Lamb for 119 yards.

Steelers safety fined for late hit in Week 11 matchup against Ravens

Minkah Fitzpatrick received a surprising fine for a Week 11 late hit, despite not being penalized during the game.

The NFL is apparently content with adding salt to the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ proverbial wound that was opened in the Week 12 loss on Thursday Night Football to the Cleveland Browns.

Steelers free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has been the subject of recent discussion over his lack of splash plays in 2024, was fined $11,255 for his late hit on the Ravens in Week 11.

The fine is surprising, as it apparently stems from Fitzpatrick and Ravens’ Patrick Mekari’s scuffle following a Baltimore fumble.

Mekari was the only player flagged on the play, but Fitzpatrick is seemingly the only one being fined for the altercation


Fitzpatrick likely has bigger concerns than the fine, such as preparing his secondary for Week 13’s contest against the Cincinnati Bengals‘ prolific passing attack led by QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase. Fitzpatrick will also continue striving for his first interception of the 2024 season, and Week 13 in Cincinnati would be the perfect place to start.

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Chargers superstar got explicit while praising Ja’Marr Chase

This is big praise from Ja’Marr Chase

The incredible season for Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase has been somewhat lost in the noise of his contract standoff with the team.

But other players around the NFL have taken note, at least.

Case in point, after last week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Chase found himself on the receiving end of some major praise from elite defender Derwin James.

Joe Danneman of Fox 19 captured the quick summary: “Best in the world. I don’t give a f*** what nobody say. Best in the world.”

Chase could certainly say that right now. He’s put up 1,056 yards and 12 scores on 73 catches over just 10 games. Against the Chargers, he scored twice with 75 yards on seven catches. The week before that, he dropped 11 catches for 264 yards and three scores on the heads of the Baltimore Ravens.

Like Joe Burrow’s MVP frontrunner status if the Bengals were winning games, Chase might not get the awards and spotlight he deserves. But other players see it:

 

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Will Bengals get cheap with Ja’Marr Chase? An NFL insider weighs in

One insider considers the upcoming standoff between the Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase aren’t talking a contract extension during the season after the recent, awkward standoff between the two sides.

That impasse that bled into the regular season ended with Chase apparently feeling like the Bengals misled him in talks.

And now insiders such as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler have gone back and forth on how things might play out between the Bengals and Chase next offseason:

The belief leaguewide is, yes, the Bengals did get close to extending Chase’s contract leading up to Week 1, but while the per-year annual average on that contract offer was sufficient, the structure of the deal (guarantees) was not what he wanted. Now Chase is well-positioned to clear Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million bar and then some. Will the Bengals oblige? It seems like a no-brainer, but that’s still a hefty price tag for a team considered fiscally responsible. The feeling here is Cincinnati lets Tee Higgins walk in free agency and allocates resources for Chase, a 2026 free agent. If not, expect Chase to stay far away from the team for a while.

Here’s the problem for the Bengals: Chase’s price was always going to go up next offseason due to the nature of the market. They knew that. But it doesn’t help that he’s flirting with a Triple Crown and his agent is openly celebrating how easy he’s making the job for his reps.

So yes, things could get messy between the Bengals and Chase after the season. The team could technically stand firm in how it wants to structure the contract, citing the fifth year of Chase’s rookie deal, then a franchise tag, and perhaps even another after that.

But…Chase could use his leverage too. It’s uncomfortable, but a conversation that is understandably making the rounds right now.

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NFL poll says teams fear Ja’Marr Chase over Vikings’ Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson is one of the most feared wide receivers in the NFL, but coaches reportedly fear one player even more than the Vikings star

It’s undeniable that Minnesota Vikings‘ wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the best in the position in the NFL- and is on the path to becoming one of the best wide receivers in NFL history. Last week, he broke both the team record and the league record for most receiving yards in a player’s first five seasons. Last season, even though he only played nine games due to injury, he still broke the 1,000-yard mark. His talent is inarguable.

What is arguable, it seems, is just how highly he ranks among his peers and who at the position strikes the most fear in opposing coaches. According to ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler, “Many scouts and coaches believe (Ja’Marr) Chase strikes more fear in opponents because of his big-play ability. He’s validating that belief, which means the price tag only goes up.”

That line was in reference to whether or not the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be willing to give Chase a large contract in the offseason as the Vikings did with Jefferson this previous offseason. On the surface, there’s some merit to that stance, as Chase is in the running for the “Triple Crown” this season, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

However, when you look at it a little deeper, the claim of “better big-play ability” doesn’t necessarily hold water — at least with regards to this season. Though Jefferson is trailing Chase in the counting stats, it is Jefferson, and not Chase, who has the edge in yards per reception — 15.5 to 14.5. Jefferson also has the longer longest reception this season, 97 yards to 70, and has more “big play” receptions (receptions of 20+ yards) this season than Chase.

Regardless of whether or not the anonymous scouts and coaches are right, Chase and Jefferson are neck-and-neck for the best receiver in the NFL, and Chase is likely in line for a Jefferson-like payday this offseason, though the team could opt to have Chase play on his fifth-year option and kick the can down the road for another year.