The Cincinnati Bengals are getting set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a pivotal matchup this Sunday, and Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase does not seem impressed with his opponent.
When asked about what stands out about the Chiefs’ secondary, Chase provided a very blunt answer.
“If I’m being honest, nothing,” Chase said, via Bengals writer Mike Petraglia.
Cincinnati and Kansas City have met four times since Chase was drafted in 2021, with two of those meetings coming the playoffs. The Bengals have actually gone 3-1 in those games, but the Chiefs won the most recent clash, topping Cincy in last winter’s AFC Championship Game.
Chase did credit Kansas City’s secondary for playing well as a collective unit, saying the Chiefs “just know how to play us.” However, he added that there is no true star player in Kansas City’s defensive backfield.
“They know the leverages. They know what splits we in. [And] they just know what we going to do [in] certain moments,” Chase said. “They throw a little double doubles at us to stop the two best players on our side and that’s all they do. It’s not really like they’ve got a Jalen Ramsey on their squad.”
The 23-year-old’s status for this weekend’s battle is up in the air due to a shoulder injury, but Chase is making it sound like he plans on playing.
“They know I’m good, they know how to play us,” Chase continued. “It’s not like they’ve got a superstar on their defense.”
He said “no comment” when asked if there was any hatred between the Bengals and Chiefs.
Chase did not play in Cincinnati’s Week 16 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Bengals ended up scoring just 11 points in a 23-point loss.
On the season overall, Chase has hauled in 93 receptions for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns.
The LSU product, whom Cincinnati took with the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.
Cincy is 8-7 and desperately needs a win against the Chiefs to keep its playoff hopes alive. After facing Kansas City, it will take on the Cleveland Browns to wrap up the regular season on Jan. 7.
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