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Ja’Marr Chase’s frustration spoke to what needs to be discussed when it comes to the Bengals.
After his team’s second-half rally fell short in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11, the superstar wide receiver not-so-subtly pointed the finger at coach Zac Taylor when asked about Cincinnati’s issues finishing games.
“Ask Zac. … Ask the coaches,” Chase said in the postgame locker room. “Don’t ask me. That’s not my job.
“I play football on the field,” he continued. “I don’t call plays for us, you know? So, I can’t really do nothing.”
Whether Chase should have made those comments publicly is not the point.
The reality is that coaching is playing an integral role in dooming a season that began with Super Bowl expectations for Cincinnati.
How can it be looked at any other way? Quarterback Joe Burrow ranks among NFL leaders in completions (274), passing attempts (408), passing yards (3,028) and passing touchdowns (27). Before Cincinnati’s bye week, Chase was pacing to be the league’s receiving triple-crown winner, leading all players in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL with 11.5 sacks. Wideout Tee Higgins is averaging a career-high 81.5 receiving yards per game.
So the Bengals’ four best players are having career years in some shape or form — and yet the team is barreling toward missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
Cincinnati doesn’t play well against good teams — 4-1 against teams that have a losing record, 0-6 against teams that have a winning record, including two matchups with the division-rival Baltimore Ravens). And the Bengals have had a persistent issue closing games, which speaks to a coaching problem. Six of their seven losses have come by seven or fewer points.
Late defensive breakdowns, in particular, have been a theme in those contests. You can’t excuse two missed field goals by kicker Evan McPherson in the fourth quarter of the…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/whos-blame-bengals-squander-career-years-from-joe-burrow-jamarr-chase
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Publish date : 2024-11-29 14:23:00
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