Ja’Marr Chase wasted no time putting his stamp on Sunday’s Week 9 matchup in Madrid.
The Bengals and Falcons were locked in a back-and-forth battle in Spain, but Cincinnati’s offense had the feel of a Joe Burrow-to-Ja’Marr Chase showcase early on. Chase got the Bengals on the board with their first touchdown of the day, hauling in a 4-yard scoring pass to pull Cincinnati even at 7-7 after Atlanta struck first.
From there, he kept stacking highlight plays. Chase flashed his hands with a one-handed catch, then powered through a tackle to turn it into a first down. He later helped set up Cincinnati’s second touchdown with a 13-yard grab that moved the ball to Atlanta’s one-yard line.
The first half kept getting louder. Chase ripped off a slant across the middle for more than 30 yards, then came through with an acrobatic diving catch on 3rd & 1 to move the chains. On the same drive, he dragged both feet on a sideline catch to convert 3rd & 9, then secured a 1st & Goal with a 12-yard reception that helped set up Cincinnati’s third score of the afternoon.
By halftime, Chase had piled up 142 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. That total is the most first-half receiving yards by a Bengals wide receiver since 1988.
The game was still in progress, and Chase had been quiet in the second half at that point. Still, if Cincinnati holds on for the win over Atlanta, his first-half explosion will be a major reason why.
In Other News...
Shemar Stewart Suddenly Has A Bigger Bengals Opportunity In Madrid
As the Bengals get ready for their trip to Madrid to face the Falcons, Shemar Stewart is suddenly in line for a larger role than the one he has had so far. The rookie defensive lineman has been working through limited playing time, but the path to more snaps has opened up as Cincinnati deals with injuries up front and tries to keep its rotation intact for an overseas game that carries plenty of attention.
Zac Taylor pointed to the absences around Stewart as a reason his workload should grow, and the timing matters for a player who missed much of training camp before settling into the season. Even with that slow start, Stewart has kept a positive approach, and the Bengals now need him to turn that into production when the opportunities start coming more regularly. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Game Day Choice Could Start A New Bengals Debate
Joe Burrows game-day wardrobe drew a little extra attention during the Bengals Week 9 meeting with the Falcons, when he stepped out in custom orange-and-black Caddix cleats. The brand has been making noise around the league lately, helped along by interest from players and even endorsements from figures like Tom Brady, and Burrows choice fit neatly into the kind of style-conscious image he has built in Cincinnati.
The wrinkle is that Caddix is not an NFL-approved brand, which is where the conversation gets interesting for a player with Burrows visibility. Other players have already run into trouble for wearing the same cleats, and with Joe Flacco also connected to the brand, Burrows choice could easily spark a fresh Bengals-side debate about where fashion ends and league rules begin. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge AFC North Test After Steelers Bye Week
Pittsburgh heads into its bye week with plenty of momentum after rolling past Cleveland, a result that kept the Steelers atop the AFC North and underscored how well they are playing on both sides of the ball. Jaylen Warren gave the offense a burst on the ground, while the defense kept the Browns under pressure all afternoon with a pass rush that consistently disrupted the pocket and helped create extra possessions.
For Cincinnati, the timing only raises the stakes for what comes next. The Bengals will get the division leader in prime time at Paycor Stadium on Nov. 15, with NBC carrying the matchup and streaming available on Fubo, and it arrives as one of the clearest measuring-stick games left on the schedule. If the Bengals want to make up ground in the AFC North, this is the kind of test that can shape the rest of the race. [Read more 🡒]