Ja'Marr Chase etched his name into the Cincinnati Bengals record book, Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Cardinals.
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After largely being held under wraps through the season's first month, Chase broke out in Arizona, catching a franchise-record 15 passes for 192 yards with three touchdowns, in what amounted to a get-right game for the struggling Bengals.
Chase and the Bengals' offense had yet to really find a rhythm through the first four weeks, with the All-Pro wide receiver entering Sunday with just 29 receptions for 284 yards and failing to reach the end zone.
Week 5 was easily the most complete performance of the season for the Bengals' offense, with Chase's strong play the driving force. Likewise, quarterback Joe Burrow looked much more like himself, after struggling with the lingering effects of a calf injury suffered during training camp.
Those ill effects, and any lingering concerns about Burrow, Chase and the Bengals were largely assuaged on Sunday afternoon.
THERE IT IS FOLKS#CINatAZ | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/F6UefyyIlt
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 8, 2023
As ESPN points out, Burrow's 49.6 air yards on a touchdown pass to Chase Sunday against the Cardinals represents the most for any scoring throw in his career, according to data from NFL Next Gen Stats and ESPN Stats & Information.
Chase had previously sounded off to reporters, in the wake of last Sunday's 27-3 disaster in Tennessee against the Titans, where the Bengals' offense couldn't get anything going and Chase was held to seven receptions for only 73 yards in the game. In Arizona, he looked much more like his dynamic playmaker self.
Cincinnati's win, and Chase's strong performance during it, helps the Bengals keep pace in the AFC North, after the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. If the Bengals are going to climb out of an early 1-3 hole to open the 2023 campaign, Burrow and Chase are going to need many more performances similar to Sunday's domination.
