The Cincinnati Bengals got embarrassed by the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, and star wideout Ja'Marr Chase had to eat his words.
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It was a frustrating start to the 2023 NFL season for the Bengals as they fell to the Browns, 24-3, on Sunday afternoon and only managed 142 yards of total offense.
Chase had a particularly disappointing day as he reeled in just five catches for 39 yards on the day. This is quite the difference from 10 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown Chase had against the Browns in a Week 14 win last year.
The bad performance is even more embarrassing for Chase considering the remarks he made about the Browns last Thursday. While talking to Bengals reporters, Chase gave his feelings on the in-state and divisional rival.
"It feels like a regular game to me," Chase said. "It don't feel no different. It's just the hooping and hollering about the Cleveland Browns. I was about to call them the elves. But, yeah."
Despite the loss, Chase doubled down on his nickname of the Browns after the game on Sunday.
"We just lost to some elves," Chase said to the reporter scrum huddled around his locker.
#Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase on the loss to the Browns:
"We just lost to some elves"
(📽️ @OliviaRayTV)pic.twitter.com/yMeZcFXbwp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 10, 2023
The elves' reference comes from the Brownie the Elf logo which was the primary logo of the Browns from 1948-1969. The logo was brought back to midfield to start last season after Browns fans voted to do so. The elf logo returned on Sunday at midfield after it once again won the fan vote held by the franchise for the 2023 season. The Brownie the Elf logo actually beat out the new Dawg logo that the Browns unveiled this offseason.
At the end of the day, the Browns and their elf logo are 1-0 while it's back to the drawing board for Chase and a frustrated Bengals offense that averaged 26 points per game in 2022 but could only manage a field goal against Cleveland in the opener.
