The star wide receiver is changing his mindset when the ball doesn’t come his way, putting the Bengals’ success ahead of his individual production.
Ja’Marr Chase’s production against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was not what the Cincinnati Bengals have come to expect from their star wide receiver.
Chase finished the game with just two catches for 12 yards as the Bengals opened the season with a 33-27 win over Tampa Bay. While the performance was not the type of game that would have left him satisfied in the past, Chase said he is working to change the way he responds when the ball is not coming his way instead of letting a quieter game linger.
He said that in the past, he would have been in his head the entire game and would have left angry whether the team won or not.
That change in mindset has been something Chase has been intentional about developing, particularly as he enters the season as one of the Bengals’ captains.
With that responsibility comes a need to lead beyond his individual production. Chase knows younger players and teammates can look to him for how he responds when things do not go according to plan, making his reaction to a slow game just as important as his performance on the field.
Rather than allowing a lack of targets or production to affect his mentality, Chase wants to remain focused on what the Bengals need from him and the rest of the team.
Against the Buccaneers, Chase believes he did a better job of holding himself accountable and maintaining the right perspective throughout the game.
For one of Cincinnati’s most important offensive players, that perspective could be valuable over the course of a long season. Chase is going to have games where he is heavily involved in the offense and others where the ball does not come his way as often.
His ability to move past those quieter performances could help him remain focused on the bigger picture, especially in a pivotal season this year.
The Bengals will need Chase to have big games throughout the season. His ability to create explosive plays and consistently produce will remain an important part of Cincinnati’s offense, but Chase’s expectations for himself are no longer solely tied to his stat line.
As long as the Bengals come out on top, Chase said he will be able to live with a game where the ball does not come his way as often.
For Chase, the goal is becoming simpler: win first, worry about the numbers second. If he and Joe Burrow are both on the field together, the stats will come.
