Ja’Marr Chase gave Cincinnati exactly the kind of spark it needed in Houston, and he did it with a catch that looked more like a highlight-reel stunt than a routine touchdown.
Chase hauled in a falling, toe-tapping 32-yard grab to get the Bengals on the board and help them jump out to a 7-0 lead over the Texans. It was the kind of play that can flip a game’s tone in one snap, and it came after a stretch where Chase said he’s been working to stay locked in no matter how often the ball comes his way.
He finished with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.
“The old me would have been in my head and not been more mentally into the game anymore. You know what I'm saying?"
Chase said on Thursday. "But now I'm trying to stay more into the game.
Whether it's two catches in one quarter and I don't see it until the fourth quarter, I still got to be ready. You know what I'm saying?
It's just like (Andrei) Iosivas and the rest of the other guys that don't normally have the ball every other down. You know what I'm saying?
I just gotta be prepared to have my number called.”
The scoring play came on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow at 3:29 of the second quarter. Cincinnati’s offense kept moving around that sequence, with Burrow also connecting with Tee Higgins for 23 yards and 18 yards on separate plays in the second quarter. Chase had one incompletion in the middle of that stretch before finishing the drive with the touchdown grab.
The Bengals also mixed in a few runs from Chase Brown, including gains of 6 and 5 yards in the second quarter. Cincinnati’s early answer in Houston, though, belonged to Chase - and to the kind of catch that reminds everyone why he remains the centerpiece of this offense.
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