(08-21-2021, 12:44 AM)Nately120 Wrote: I get the smart playing and caution, but I'd also think we'd want players who treat every second on a football field as "meaningful" regardless of the status of the game.  Is he going to take plays off during the pre-season?  When we are getting blown out?  When we are out of the playoff hunt?  Etc.

I'm pretty sure he won't, but I just want to point out that we are talking a lot about how pre-season doesn't matter while other teams are playing guys who have spent a lot more time on the field lately than some of our key players.

That’s what had me worried because, while I don’t think he’ll be one, receivers are typically the biggest divas in the game.

I had flashbacks of TO giving up on routes and not going up for contested catches, but I don’t think Chase will be like that because he’s not nearly as big of a diva as TO and he won’t want to let Burrow down.

Some guys can just turn “it” on at any moment, and I hope that we’re about to see Chase unleashed on the league.

(08-21-2021, 02:52 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Here's what Bengals coach Zac Taylor had to say about WR Ja'Marr Chase in light of his drops/performance tonight. pic.twitter.com/j30dXQvwZ7

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) August 21, 2021

*focusing is the key word here.

He shouldn’t be saying any of those things about a #5 pick in the draft. He just said Chase is basically WORKING ON CATCHING THE FOOTBALL. What?! I’m getting those John Ross vibes already. Can anyone have a bad game? Of course, but there have been concerns about Chase dropping balls all through camp. Catching the football should not be a concern for a top WR prospect in the draft. Right?

(08-21-2021, 08:26 AM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: He shouldn’t be saying any of those things about a #5 pick in the draft. He just said Chase is basically WORKING ON CATCHING THE FOOTBALL. What?! I’m getting those John Ross vibes already. Can anyone have a bad game? Of course, but there have been concerns about Chase dropping balls all through camp. Catching the football should not be a concern for a top WR prospect in the draft. Right?

I feel your anxiety, coming off a pick like Ross....who will always be the guy we drafted one pick before Patrick Mahommes.  However, I think what ZT is saying and what we need to realize is that he doesn't have a problem with drops.  He has a problem with concentration of the simple act of catching the ball.  That isn't something to be praised, or even ignored, but after a year off and learning so many other things (that he has eluded to)  it is at least understandable. 

I'm not worried about Chase like I am not worried about Burrow.  He has proven that he escalates to the top of every league he has played in as a WR.  He will be a huge addition to this club.  

Have faith.  

Those were Chase's first live reps in a year and a half (outside of one screen target game 1) its expected to come with some rust. He needed to stay in the game and work through it.

Better to do it now than in the regular season like Jerry Jeudy last year.

My thoughts are this:

All I’ve heard the last 6 months is that we wouldn’t even be able to get the ball to Chase because the line will be SO bad… hey, we got it to him cleanly three times. Ya, he didn’t catch them, it’s a bummer… but guys, the o line gave BA plenty of time against arguably the best Dline in football.

(08-21-2021, 09:11 AM)BritishBengal Wrote: Better to do it now than in the regular season like Jerry Jeudy last year.

CeDee Lamb also struggled with drops last season (tied Jeudy for 2nd most with 9), and now the reports coming out of Dallas are that he looks completely unstoppable.

Ja’Marr will get there.

The drops are frustrating and concerning but it is important to remember that he has some field rust. That’s okay. I would’ve loved it if Chase came out of the gate catching bombs but he just needs more time and reps.

Plus, I also do think Burrow will fix any issues with the offense or Chase.

I'd like to see him run some deeper routes instead of being contested in the traffic. Seems like the routes confine his athletic ability into small spaces. He seems capable of running the patterns, but let's let him sprint a few. Let's give him some big play chances.

(08-21-2021, 08:43 AM)Synric Wrote: Those were Chase's first live reps in a year and a half (outside of one screen target game 1) its expected to come with some rust. He needed to stay in the game and work through it.

He should have definitely been left in the game until he caught some passes. I dont care if he went 1 catch in 20 attempts.  If his mind/concentration is the concern, then we may just have another one with a Ross syndrome. What's with all this "protection" mentality with players nowadays. Maybe that's the problem. I blame the coaches.

On another WR topic, I vouch for this guy: Keep Tate. Always been sure hands.

Just finished the first 2 quarters of the game. Jamar was horrible. Y’all talking about field rust as if those were hard catches and he hasn’t been practicing this whole time. Allen threw him good passes on each of his 3 drops.

He needs to be better. They should’ve gotten him an easy screen or something

(08-21-2021, 09:50 AM)Bengalitis Wrote: He should have definitely been left in the game until he caught some passes. I dont care if he went 1 catch in 20 attempts.  If his mind/concentration is the concern, then we may just have another one with a Ross syndrome. What's with all this "protection" mentality with players nowadays. Maybe that's the problem. I blame the coaches.

On another WR topic, I vouch for this guy: Keep Tate. Always been sure hands.

Tate for whatever reason has his club of haters on here
All he does is put his head down practice hard. Keeps quiet.
Then game time catches the ball. 
Every year you hear the same crew, the Bengals need to cut Tate blah blah.
There was even one poster on here that said Tate has bad
Hands. 
All he has done is improve since he arrived

(08-21-2021, 11:03 AM)impactplaya Wrote: Tate for whatever reason has his club of haters on here
All he does is put his head down practice hard. Keeps quiet.
Then game time catches the ball. 
Every year you hear the same crew, the Bengals need to cut Tate blah blah.
There was even one poster on here that said Tate has bad
Hands. 
All he has done is improve since he arrived

Literally no one has ever suggested to cut Tate. His biggest critic here is probably Whatever, but I’ve never once seen him say Tate shouldn’t be on the team. Most people are more than happy with Tate as a #4.

(08-21-2021, 08:26 AM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: He shouldn’t be saying any of those things about a #5 pick in the draft. He just said Chase is basically WORKING ON CATCHING THE FOOTBALL. What?! I’m getting those John Ross vibes already. Can anyone have a bad game? Of course, but there have been concerns about Chase dropping balls all through camp. Catching the football should not be a concern for a top WR prospect in the draft. Right?

Drops have been an issue for Chase dating back to 2018. He did seem to overcome them in 2019, but they were sprinkled in throughout the season. His big plays made up (and covered up) for them.

If Juedy was tied 2nd with 9, Chase may blow past that number by week 5. Hopefully he makes the big plays to make up for them.

Chase will be fine, relax. The great AJ Green in his prime had games where he would get the dropsy's, then next game would play like he had stick'em on his gloves. Not concerned at all.
e

(08-21-2021, 11:35 AM)jj22 Wrote: Drops have been an issue for Chase dating back to 2018

According to who? He had five drops in 118 targets in his last full season. Dehner Jr. had this to say over at The Athletic: “ Yet, through all the scrutiny made over the decision at the top of the draft and evaluation of the Chase, drops were never mentioned as an issue by any evaluator.”

(08-21-2021, 11:03 AM)impactplaya Wrote: Tate for whatever reason has his club of haters on here
All he does is put his head down practice hard. Keeps quiet.
Then game time catches the ball. 
Every year you hear the same crew, the Bengals need to cut Tate blah blah.
There was even one poster on here that said Tate has bad
Hands. 
All he has done is improve since he arrived

No one has said Tate to be cut. They just don’t see him as more than a #4 on this team. There’s nothing wrong with that. He’s been here 3/4 years and has 1 TD I think. It’s not like he lights everyone up. Just makes some spectacular plays, but it’s very odd that the only time he makes a catch it has to be a monstrous effort at the catch. That tell me he is consistently good enough to get open. Hence why he’s a backup. Not bad for a 7th rounder though.

(08-21-2021, 01:21 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Yeah, Ja’Marr Chase - - one of the most physical WR’s to come out in years is “too soft.” LOL

The guy literally lived for contact against DB’s in college (1st and 2nd rounders mind you).

Can’t we just be disappointed in the drops (which are concentration issues- - not being afraid to get hit) without totally making things up?

A lot of receivers dominated college against future NFL stars then crashed and burned in the NFL. I’m not saying that will happen to Chase but the drops weren’t just a case of stone hands. He looked scared out there. Hopefully he gets it together by week one.

A backup qb almost got Chase put in an ambulance, if not for the kind starter for Washington pulling back on the free hit. I wouldn't trust that qb to not do that again, and once Washington's backups were in fighting for jobs there would be no pulling back from free hits. Letting Chase stay in to work on his head game would have been nice but very risky imo.

(08-21-2021, 08:26 AM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: He shouldn’t be saying any of those things about a #5 pick in the draft. He just said Chase is basically WORKING ON CATCHING THE FOOTBALL. What?! I’m getting those John Ross vibes already. Can anyone have a bad game? Of course, but there have been concerns about Chase dropping balls all through camp. Catching the football should not be a concern for a top WR prospect in the draft. Right?

didnt catch the game ( i was at a dodger game here in LA) but damn..hearing about all these drops from Chase is giving me serious concerns that we made yet another BAD high draft choice. Seeing his pre draft highlites, I recall he was more impressive making those sticky grabs then being a true deep threat....and now this seems to be in question?? WTF, I hope he figures it out soon. someone said he has the "yips" ...I hope thats all it is.  How are the other high pick WRs doing? Waddle, Smith?  I liked Waddle, he had the jets we needed and I thought good hands too.