Bengals' Chase: 'Nothing' stands out about Chiefs' secondary
The Kansas City Chiefs boast one of the NFL's premier defenses, but Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase said "nothing" about their secondary stands out to him ahead of their Week 17 clash, according to Mike Petraglia of the "Jungle Roar" podcast.
"They just know to play us, they know to leverage us. … They throw a little double-doubles at us to stop the two best players on our side, and that's all they do," Chase said. "It's not really like they have a Jalen Ramsey on their squad."
None of the Chiefs' defensive backs have earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod throughout their careers. However, Kansas City's young secondary has helped the team rank second in points and yards allowed while giving up the third-fewest EPA/play per dropback. Those are the Chiefs' best numbers defensively in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Chase missed Cincinnati's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 due to a shoulder injury. Though his Week 17 status remains unclear, the former Offensive Rookie of the Year said he's mentally preparing himself to play.
He's not worried about what the Chiefs will think of his assessment of their defense.
"They can take it how they want. I don't care," Chase said.
"At the end of the day, there's (only) so much that I can do myself," he added. "It's not like I'm Iron Man. I can't throw the football to myself. It's a team sport. I know what I see on paper, I know what I see in game, that's why they double everybody - because they can't do it one-on-one. The best player on their team is (cornerback L'Jarius) Sneed."
The 2021 No. 5 pick added: "I'm just adding fire to the fuel right now. They're gonna take this wrong with it, hope they post it in their locker."
Chase has faced the Chiefs four times in his career, including two playoff matchups. The LSU product caught 30 passes for 492 yards and four touchdowns.
Joe Burrow, Chase, and Co. won their first three meetings versus Kansas City, but the Mahomes-led Chiefs edged the Bengals in the AFC title game last season before winning the Super Bowl.
"They know I'm good, they know how to play us. That's what it is. But it's not like they got a superstar on their defense," Chase said.
The Chiefs and Bengals have developed one of the NFL's biggest rivalries in recent years. Cincy won the AFC in the only season Kansas City didn't claim the conference's trophy over the last four years.
Kansas City leads the AFC West with a 9-6 record in 2023 but has gone only 2-4 in its last six appearances largely due to offensive struggles. Meanwhile, the 8-7 Bengals - currently the AFC's No. 10 seed - likely need to win their final two regular-season games to have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. Cincinnati has been playing without Burrow since Week 12 due to a season-ending wrist injury.