Ja’Marr Chase doesn’t sound like a player easing into another season. He sounds like someone who knows exactly what this Bengals team can be - and exactly how much higher the ceiling still sits.
The star receiver said Cincinnati feels “more complete” after the additions the Bengals made on defense, pointing specifically to Dexter Lawrence and the way he’s already setting a tone in practice.
“It just feels like we’re more complete. We know what we can do on offense, and adding guys like Dex on defense helps take us to that next level.
He makes his presence known every day in practice. The foundation is there, now we’ve just got to go win.”
That bigger picture, of course, is still the same one Chase has had in mind all along.
“At this point, winning is what matters. I want a Super Bowl.
That’s always the goal. Everything else comes with that.”
Chase and Joe Burrow have been tied together since 2021, and Chase said the connection between them still has room to grow.
“For sure. There’s always more.
Me and Joe have been doing this a long time, so we know what the other one is thinking. But we’re never satisfied.
We can always get better, make more plays and keep pushing each other. That’s the fun part of the game.”
Burrow said he’s getting 2019 LSU vibes from this group, and Chase said that feeling isn’t lost on him.
“Back then, we knew we had something special before everybody else did. It was just about going out and proving it.
I feel some of that now. We know what we’ve got in this locker room.
Now we’ve got to show it on the field.”
One of the biggest day-to-day battles in camp has been Chase lining up across from DJ Turner II, and Chase gave Turner plenty of credit for making practice sharper.
“DJ competes. He’s fast, he’s physical, and he’s going to make you work every rep.
That’s what you want in practice. I make him better, he makes me better.
We’re going at it every day.”
He also had praise for Dohnte Meyers, who officially made the team after a strong offseason.
“He comes in ready to work, competes and isn’t scared of the moment. I like that about him. He earned his spot.”
As defenses continue to key on him, Chase said the job has become as much about the mind as the body.
“It’s a lot more mental now. They know what I’m trying to do, I know what they’re trying to do. So it’s like, alright, who’s gonna win?
I’m watching where the safety is, how the DB is playing me, where the help is coming from. Me and Joe usually see the same thing, so I already know where I need to be.
Then it’s just setting the DB up. Make him think he’s got me figured out, then give him something different.
That’s the fun part for me now. You think you know what’s coming?
Cool. Stop it.”
Chase also dug into his partnership with Fabletics, and what makes it different from a standard endorsement deal. He said he’s hands-on with the creative process and pays close attention to fit and function.
“I care about what I wear. On the field, in the gym, wherever.
It’s got to look right and feel right. That’s what I like about working with Fabletics.
I actually get to be in it. I’m not just putting my name on something.
I’m wearing it, testing it, telling them what I think.
For me, it’s always about fit, and I’m picky about that. Something can look good, but if I put it on and it doesn’t move right or sit the way I want, I’m gonna say something.
But it’s also about having the right pieces, all the way down to the stuff people forget. Accessories are where a lot of brands stop paying attention.
That’s where I pushed hardest. I wanted a skull cap.
I wanted a balaclava. Things I’m actually reaching for in December in Cincinnati, not just things that look good in a photo.
Fabletics ran with all of it, and now that’s some of the gear I’m most excited about.”
And as for the line attached to that collection, Chase said it fits the way he sees his own career right now.
“I’m really just focused on being better than I was yesterday. That’s it.
I’m not watching what everybody else is doing. I know what I can do, and I know I can still get better.
So, I’m chasing the best version of me. Numéro uno.”
In Other News...
Joe Burrows Latest Injury Hint Should Worry Bengals Fans
Joe Burrow had already taken his share of punishment by the time the Bengals left Week 2 behind, and one on-field exchange with Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. only added to the unease. Anderson was everywhere in Houstons pass rush, piling up eight tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits, the kind of disruptive day that can leave a quarterback feeling every snap long after the game ends.
Afterward, Burrow told Anderson that the Texans had helped pop his rib back into place, a comment he later shrugged off with a smile. Even if he tried to play it lightly, it was the sort of offhand remark Bengals fans have reason to notice, especially with Anderson looking every bit like the two-time Pro Bowler and 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year he is becoming. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Postgame Message Should Fire Up Bengals Fans
Joe Burrow helped steer Cincinnati to a 20-6 win over Houston on Sunday, pushing the Bengals to 2-0 and giving the early part of the season a familiar feel. Even with some soreness in the mix, Burrow still found Ja'Marr Chase for two touchdown passes, and the offense did enough to keep the Texans at arm's length while the defense set the tone.
The more encouraging part for Bengals fans may have been the way the team won it. Houston never reached the end zone, with Cincinnati's defense smothering the Texans for most of the afternoon and making Burrow's efficient performance count even more. After a start like that, the message coming out of the locker room figures to matter just as much as the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Dexter Lawrence Is Already Creating A Bengals Dilemma Texans Know Well
Dexter Lawrence II did not need a gaudy stat line in his Bengals debut to change the game. He was doubled often in Cincinnatis Week 1 win, and that kind of attention can reshape everything around him, from how blockers set their feet to how the rest of the front gets freed up. It is the sort of presence teams spend all week trying to account for, and the Bengals are already seeing how quickly he can alter their defensive math.
Houston knows that problem well enough to talk about it before the matchup arrives. Texans general manager Nick Caserio praised Lawrences athleticism and compared him to former Patriots All-Pro Vince Wilfork, a reminder of just how rare a player like this can be when he starts commanding so much attention. For Cincinnati, the next question is not whether Lawrence can draw a crowd in the middle. It is how much more disruptive the defense can become when opponents have to build their entire plan around him. [Read more 🡒]