The Athletic's Ted Nguyen Notes Bengals Early-Down Usage of Ja'Marr Chase

Cincinnati fully unlocked the wide receiver's talents last Thursday night.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs after a catch as Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith (0) defends in the first quarter of the NFL game at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals did a great job scheming Ja'Marr Chase open into big plays early in drives last Thursday. The Athletic's Ted Nguyen broke down the impressive numbers this week.

Chase had a whopping five catches for 188 yards on first down in the 35-34 loss to Baltimore.

"The Bengals offense is noticeably less explosive without Tee Higgins because teams can give Ja’Marr Chase their full attention and not have to worry about singling up the Bengals’ other receivers," Nguyen wrote. "On 'Thursday Night Football,' Higgins missed his third straight game with a quad injury. Knowing the Ravens would double Chase on third downs, the Bengals targeted Chase six times on first down when defenses usually present more basic looks. Chase had five catches for 188 yards on first down."

Zac Taylor and the offense are constantly hunting the best ways to feature Chase, who has been in the slot and moving around the formation much more this season than in years past.

Pushing the right buttons on that front is crucial to Cincinnati's goal of making the 2024 postseason.

Check out the full breakdown from Nguyen here.

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