Rookie receiver Ja'Marr Chase drops three passes in Bengals' preseason loss to Washington
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LANDOVER, Md. ā The Cincinnati Bengals were dealt their first preseason loss on Friday night. After taking the lead late in the third quarter, the Bengals were unable to score another touchdown.
Several starters saw action well into the first quarter, the longest head coach Zac Taylor has kept his first-team offense and defense in so far this preseason. The Bengalsā pass rush was the highlight of the night while the starting offense was unable to really ever get going in both the run and pass game.
What we learned from the Bengalsā 17-13 loss to the Washington Football Team:
Rookie JaāMarr Chase continues to drop passes
Ever since the Bengals selected JaāMarr Chase with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the expectations have been high. Chase was the best wide receiver in college football in 2019 and given his familiarity with quarterback Joe Burrow, his former LSU teammate, itās hard to believe many could have guessed Chase would have the slow start heās had.
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Chase dropped three passes on Friday night and all of them came on third down. Itās worth noting most of Chaseās practice reps come when Burrow is under center and it was Brandon Allen who was throwing him the ball at FedEx Field. The Bengals expect Chase to catch the ball, Chase does too. But there is something to be said about timing with quarterbacks and wide receivers and if Chase and Allen arenāt on the same page, that could contribute to their inability to connect. With that being said, the drops appear to be a pattern for Cincinnatiās first-round pick right now. Chase has dropped passes consistently during training camp, so much so both Taylor and Burrow have addressed questions regarding the play of the receiver.
When asked if Chaseās drops could be attributed to the lack of reps with Allen, Taylor didnāt want to make an excuses.
āWe expect our receivers to catch the ball ā¦ itās as simple as that,ā Taylor said following the game. āI donāt attribute it to any rhythm, the ball is coming at you, catch it.ā
Burrow hasnāt dressed for a preseason game yet and Taylor has yet to announce if he will let his franchise quarterback see any game snaps before the Bengalsā home-opener. If Chase continues to drop passes when Burrow is starting at quarterback, then this will be a different story.
Bengalsā offseason investment on defensive line looks to be paying off
After finishing last in the NFL in sacks and No. 27 against the run, the Bengals prioritized their defensive line in free agency. The team signed defensive end Trey Hendrickson and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to complement Sam Hubbard and DJ Reader, who were both on the roster in 2020. Hubbard and Reader combined for four quarterback hits and a sack in the first quarter. Ogunjobi made a key play to stop the Washington Football Teamās fourth-and-1 from the 23-yard line. Hendrickson applied consistent pressure in the limited snaps he saw as well.
Cincinnatiās defensive line looks much improved and itās a position room full of players who understand what it takes to win.
āI think we understand the potential we have in the group and we understand we have to bring it each and every day,ā Ogunjobi said.
Bonus: Cornerback Jalen Davis and Darius Hodge continue to impress and are pushing for their spot on the Bengalsā 53-man roster. Wide receiver Trenton Irwin led the team in receiving yards with 24 yards on two catches. Irwin was Cincinnatiās leading receiver in the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first preseason game with three catches for 35 yards.