Jets Country

Jets Brace For Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals Offense

If New York wants to avoid another blowout loss, they'll need to contain rookie wideout Ja'Marr Chase and the rest of Cincinnati's high-octane offense.

Max Goodman

One week after getting pulverized by the Patriots, the Jets have an even tougher matchup on their hands.

New York hosts the first-place Bengals on Sunday, a club with one of the best offensive units in the league.

If the Jets want to avoid another ugly loss, then New York will need to contain wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, a rookie that's off to a spectacular start this season.

Snagging passes from Joe Burrow, his former college teammate at LSU, Chase already has 754 receiving yards this season. Only one other wideout (Cooper Kupp) has more receiving yards in 2021.

For reference, that's more than double the amount of yards that New York's leading receiver Corey Davis has accumulated this year (349).

READ: Jets' Corey Davis Unlikely to Play Against Bengals With Hip Injury

"He’s a stud, man, which everyone knew coming out," Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Friday. "What he’s doing for this Cincinnati team is very similar to kind of what Deebo Samuel did for San Francisco his rookie year when he just kind of unlocked a lot of different things offensively for the rest of the guys and everyone’s gotten better. They’re already good, but they’ve gotten better because of his presence."

Chase averages 21.5 yards per catch entering Week 8, a constant threat to break through for an explosive play. He's racked up 267 yards after catch as well, proof that he's able to make plays with the football already in his hands. 

Plus, the wideout has hauled in six touchdowns this year. As much as New York's young secondary has exceeded expectations at times this season, it'll take a team effort to make sure Chase doesn't dominate on Sunday afternoon.

"He's doing a great job. They're doing a great job of getting him the ball in different ways," safety Marcus Maye said this week. "Gotta know where he's at on the field at all times, be physical with him and prepare for him to get a lot of opportunities."

What makes this matchup even more difficult, however, is that Chase isn't Cincinnati's only threat. The Bengals boast a trio of wide receivers—Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins—with 25-plus receptions and at least 256 receiving yards. Heck, even tight end C.J. Uzomah has 256 receiving yards, adding another dimension to this aerial attack. 

"Kudos to them that they’ve been able to bring all these guys in and operate the way they have," Saleh added. "This receiving core, without question, is very very talented. 

"Ja’Marr has really unlocked the entire group, the tight end, the running back, Boyd, Higgins, it’s talented. And they’re playing very, very fast because they’ve been together so long."

Asked about Cincinnati's high-octane offense, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich referenced the Bengals' performance in last week's blowout win over the Ravens as proof of what they're capable of.

"It’s going to be a fantastic challenge," Ulbrich explained. "I can’t tell you last time I saw 40 put on in Baltimore. That’s a long time coming. So they’re definitely in a rhythm right now, they’re playing at a high level, we’re going to have to play at our best."

Considering New York has allowed 430-plus yards of offense in each of their last three games, it's going to take quite the reversal for the Jets to keep a lid on Cincinnati's offense. 

As always, it starts up front. If New York's defensive line can make their presence felt, stopping the run and making life miserable for Burrow in the pocket, the secondary will have a better chance of thwarting big plays over the top. Chase will get his targets, but by bringing 11 hats to the ball, the defense can stay in this game, limiting an opponent that excels at putting points on the board. 

"We know they're going to throw the ball all over the field," Maye said. "Be tight in coverage, give them different looks, can't let them get comfortable in the backfield, create pressure."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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