Darius Slay says the Cincinnati Bengals WR duo is top two in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles
The Bengals and Eagles are set for a Sunday meeting featuring dynamic wide receiver duos on both teams. Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase will break records in Cincinnati, and A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will do the same for Philadelphia.
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay praised the duo, calling them the top two in the NFL, but of course, they weren’t the No. 1 team on the list.
Darius Slay on Bengals’ WR combo: “They top two. Of course, we’ve got the best one here — I feel that — but they’re for sure up there as well. Nobody can go wrong with either one being 1A or 1B.”
Higgins has 29 catches, for 341 yards (11.8 avg), and three touchdowns on the season, while Chase is first in the NFL, with 39 catches, for 620 yards (15.9 avg), and six touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase with a hilarious admission about the Week 8 game.
The Cincinnati Bengals were flexed out of the late-afternoon kickoff time by the NFL in Week 8.
Luckily for star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, reporters asked him about the situation this week because otherwise, well, he didn’t know the game against the Philadelphia Eagles had been moved.
“Wait this game got moved to 1 p.m.?” Chase asked in footage from WCPO’s Caleb Noe. “I’m under a rock, bro…I did not know that. I don’t think no one was gonna tell me that either. I don’t like that time though because it’s too early in the morning for me to wake up.”
For Chase, that means a worse overall outlook when it comes to his sleeping situation…but it sure beats finding out at the last minute that the game was flexed.
“I’m under a rock, bro.” 🤣
Ja’Marr Chase didn’t know this Sunday’s game was moved up from 4:25 to 1:00.
“I don’t think no one was gonna tell me that either.”
Higgins has 29 receptions for 341 yards, and three touchdowns in five games played this season. His 5.8 receptions per game are a career-high, and his 68.2 yards per game is the highest since 2021.
LSU continues to earn the title of WRU early in 2024.
For years, LSU was known as “DBU.”
The Tigers were synonymous with sending star defensive backs to the NFL. In recent years, former LSU defensive backs have continued to produce, but LSU has claimed the mantle at another position — wide receiver.
Three of the NFL’s six leading receivers are LSU products. [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] leads the NFL with 620 yards. [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] rank fifth and sixth with 531 and 513 yards, respectively.
Further down the leaderboard, [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] ranks 14th with 427 yards. He sits eight in catches, despite only playing five games and getting rough quarterback play.
LSU put receivers in the NFL throughout the 2000s and 2010s. [autotag]Dwayne Bowe[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon LaFell[/autotag] eventually gave way to [autotag]Odell Beckham Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarvis Landry[/autotag]. But the group in the league now is deeper and more talented.
Its a young group too, and its set up to lead the NFL for some time. Thomas and Nabers are rookies while Chase and Jefferson are just getting around to their second contracts.
Ohio State has a claim to “WRU” too with Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. in the league. But that core doesn’t stack up with LSU’s at the moment.
LSU has another promising group of receivers on campus now. [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] both rank in the top 10 in the SEC in receiving yards and will aim to be LSU’s next difference makers at the next level.
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Through six games, the Bucs wide receiver has been on a tear and leads all receivers in the NFL in not just one but multiple key categories.
Having a sure-handed wide receiver like Chris Godwin is a luxury. Through six games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver has been on a tear and leads all receivers in the NFL in not just one but multiple key categories.
Godwin leads the way for wide receivers with a minimum of 25 targets on the season, catching 84.3% of on-target throws in his direction by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who completes 43-of-51 passes. Cincinnati Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase trails with an 82.9 catch rate on 10-less targets (41), supplying Mayfield with a 138.3 passer rating when he tosses the ball toward Godwin.
Receiving yards has Godwin positioned with the third-most at 510 behind Houston Texans’ Nico Collins (566) and the Bengals’ Chase (565). Where Godwin begins to set himself apart from the pack is his 335 yards after catch eclipse that of the second-place Chase (268), who is more commonly known as an explosive receiver, by 67. The only slot receiver in the NFL who averages more yards after catch per reception is Green Bay’s Jayden Reed with 8.1 YAC/REC. He also is tied with Chase, Allen Lazard, and fellow Buccaneers Mike Evans to lead the NFL with 5 TD.
Godwin’s chemistry with Mayfield has generated a league-leading 30 receiving first downs through six games. To make things impressive, Godwin is ranked 55th in the league for average depth of target (ADOT) at just 5.2 yards- essentially half (10.3) of what he saw in Dave Canales’ offense last season.
The Texans connection between quarterback CJ Stroud and Collins has generated the second-most receiving first downs on the season with 27, with an ADOT of 12.0- nearly three times that of Godwin.
Currently on pace for a career year with 122 receptions, 1445 yards, and 14 touchdowns, The 28-year old Godwin is picking no better time to produce even higher numbers than what Bucs fans have grown accustomed to, as he is playing in the final year of his three-year contract.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase has an old tweet about QB Joe Burrow resurface.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow hit the fastest speed of his career on his 47-yard touchdown run during Sunday night’s win over the New York Giants.
That sudden outburst from Burrow on the ground had Bengals fans digging up an infamous old tweet.
In that message from 2022, Chase seemed to scoff at the idea his quarterback is fast: “Joey B swear he fast y’all, like 20 MPH fast.”
But according to Next Gen Stats, Burrow did indeed essentially hit that mark: “Joe Burrow reached a top speed of 19.86 mph on his 47-yard touchdown run, the fastest play of Burrow’s career.”
Chase probably won’t complain about being proven wrong though — the fastest play of Burrow’s career was a critical one. It was the only major score for the Bengals on Sunday night long before Chase Brown iced the game with a touchdown run of his own in the final moments to secure the 17-7 win.
Here’s why the NFL hit Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase with yet another fine letter.
The mystery is over for the Cincinnati Bengals when it comes to the NFL’s fine letter sent to star wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
Somewhat, anyway.
Chase got word this week that he was being fined for recent actions and was confused before later revealing that the league accused him of a “violent gesture” he made during a touchdown celebration.
Fast forward to the weekend and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared the actual footage of the touchdown celebration that got Chase fine.
It is…going to be appealed, to say the least.
The league has been cracking down on violent gestures, yes. But Bengals wideout Andrei Iosivas just went through this process with the NFL too, winning his appeal over a supposed borderline violent gesture of his own.
Chase will undoubtedly appeal this. But he has to hope it goes better than the appeal he just lost over his massive fine due to an altercation with an official earlier this season.
And this criticism of the Bengals is rightfully deserved.
The Cincinnati Bengals have made many mistakes in recent years, with losing key talent like Jessie Bates and DJ Reader blatantly backfiring on the field as we speak.
But the biggest mistake might still be unfolding and have even bigger ramifications for years down the road.
Rightfully, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox just listed Cincinnati’s failure to pay Chase early as one of the top still-backfiring mistakes across the entire NFL:
While we’re unlikely to see another receiver top Jefferson’s deal between now and next offseason, we’re likely to see Chase gain even more leverage in contract negotiations.
The Bengals balking at Chase’s contract demands and not getting something done due to guarantees and structure of payouts was downright silly. While the team can use the threat of the franchise tag and such as leverage, kicking the can down the road to next offseason will cost the team even more as the market keeps increasing and he keeps playing like the best receiver in football.
Given how downright awful the defense looks right now, it’s clear the team will need to pour some money into it this offseason (and Trey Hendrickson already wants a new deal too, remember?). But the Bengals will have limited ability to put money into the defense if so much will have to go toward Chase’s extension.
Hence…the Bengals should have used the unexpected early window to get the Chase extension out of the way. It’s probably especially frustrating for fans because — on paper — the team didn’t pay Bates or Reader so that it could pay Joe Burrow, then Chase and potentially Tee Higgins, too. So far, the Bengals have done neither at wideout and the defense has suffered, with no relief on the way because so much money will need to go to Chase next summer.
The New York Giants square off in a Sunday night battle against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. Here are four reasons for concern.
The New York Giants will host the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night in Week 6, looking to carry some of the momentum generated in an upset of the Seattle Seahawks a week ago.
Despite the Giants being home under the bright lights against a 1-4 Bengals team, New York opened as 3.5-point home underdogs ahead of Sunday Night Football.
With the Giants hoping to get back to .500 in Week 6, here are four causes for concern.
Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Bengals’ passing game
The Bengals have two premier talents at the wide receiver position in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and a heck of a quarterback in Joe Burrow throwing their way.
After an impressive rookie year, Deonte Banks has had a rough start to his sophomore campaign. He did, however, have a great game last week.
Banks has already had to deal with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and DK Metcalf. The road does not get any easier with Chase on the horizon.
Shane Bowen’s defense will have to figure out ways to throw off the Bengals’ passing game. It may have to come to the Giants pass rush, which leads the league in sacks.
Although Thibodeaux isn’t the most important piece on the defensive line, his presence has certainly been felt this season. He may not show up on the stat sheet as much as he or the fans would like. However, he has been making big plays occasionally and drawing penalties as well.
Without Thibodeaux, the Giants’ strength on the defense certainly took a hit and they will have to find a way to continue getting pressure on the quarterback.
Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
Bengals desperate for a win
Cincinnati is a team that came into the season with much higher expectations than the Giants. Quite simply, the Bengals’ backs are against the wall. They need a win in the worst way with the division and their season slipping away one game at a time. If they have any chance at turning the season around, they will have to win Sunday and avoid dropping to 1-5.
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Giants in primetime
We all know how bad Daniel Jones and the Giants have been in primetime. They will have to prove their doubters wrong and put an end to the ugly streak. A statement win against a Joe Burrow-led Bengals team could go a long way in quieting the talks about the Giants’ lack of success in primetime games.
