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Stat of the Jay: Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase's Late-Half Heroics Pace the NFL

Jay Morrison

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) breaks away to run a reception down field for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. The Bengals fell to 1-4 on the season with a 41-38 loss to the Ravens.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) breaks away to run a reception down field for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. The Bengals fell to 1-4 on the season with a 41-38 loss to the Ravens. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

CINCINNATI – When the Cincinnati Bengals took over at their own 21-yard line with 34 seconds in the first half Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, it felt as though they had a realistic shot to work their way into field goal range.

Three plays later, they were there, facing a first and 10 at the Baltimore 41 with 15 seconds remaining.

But with one more timeout still to work with, head coach Zac Taylor wanted more. And Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase provided the explosion he was looking for with a 41-yard touchdown pass that, coupled with a two-point conversion, gave the Bengals a 17-14 halftime lead.

My initial thought was, ‘How many times have we seen that?’

And then, ‘Does anyone score right before halftime more often than Ja’Marr Chase?’

So I dug into the numbers.

Since Chase entered the league in 2021, no player has more touchdowns in the final minute of the first half than his five.

Davante Adams, Tyler Lockett, Mike Evans and Mack Hollins each have four.

When I posted the stat on X, @golffromscratch asked “IDK if you can do this, but I’d love to know average yards.”

Of course, I can do that.

Here are each of Chase’s final minute touchdowns, including the first scoring catch of his career in his first NFL game:

  • Week 1, 2021 vs Minnesota: 50 yards with 42 seconds remaining.
  • Week 3, 2001 at Pittsburgh: 34 yards with 43 seconds remaining.
  • Week 5, 2001 vs Green Bay: 70 yards with 51 seconds remaining.
  • Week 7, 2022 vs Atlanta: 41 yards with 57 seconds remaining.
  • Week 5, 2024 vs Baltimore: 41 yards with 15 seconds remaining.

That’s an average of 47.2 yards per touchdown.

Only Lockett comes anywhere close to that with an average scoring distance of 40.3 yards in the final minute of the half (his 1-yarder against Detroit in 2021 offset scores of 69, 55 and 35, dragging down his average.

The other averages were paltry.

  • Adams, 11.5
  • Hollins, 10.1
  • Evans 8.5

Rookie Malik Nabers could catch Chase if he keeps going the way he has. Nabers already has two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half in just four career games.

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.