(08-29-2021, 10:32 PM)jj22 Wrote: I wouldn't be surprised if he's a healthy scratch vs Vikings. 

That's a bit much, but if he doesn't pull things together in week 1 maybe he's a healthy scratch in week 2.  Actually, I don't see him ever being a healthy scratch in 2021, but if his yips stay, or even get worse in the regular season then I could see him getting some consolation sort of "nagging injury" that keeps him off the field.

Oy, if he starts week 1 by dropping the ball and ZT benches him then THAT will be some spooky shades of Ross.

(08-29-2021, 10:55 PM)jj22 Wrote: Well he doesn't play special teams and when you rank our receivers where do you have him ranking? People feel comfortable targeting him over Tate? or even Thomas?

If you have him as a top 4 receiver on this team can I ask why? Because of draft status? And if he's not a top 4 receiver, how is he so set to receive meaningful snaps in folks eyes?

I like Tate well enough, but he has 1 TD in 3 years (and Thomas only has 1 in 5 years). We drafted Chase to be a big play guy, and score TD’s. We haven’t even seen him go deep yet ffs. He absolutely has to clean up the drops (obviously), but I’m not freaking out over dropping a few screen passes with guys bearing down on him. Now if he starts dropping balls when he’s running wide open then we have a bigger problem.

(08-29-2021, 11:11 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I like Tate well enough, but he has 1 TD in 3 years (and Thomas only has 1 in 5 years). We drafted Chase to be a big play guy, and score TD’s. We haven’t even seen him go deep yet ffs. He absolutely has to clean up the drops (obviously), but I’m not freaking out over dropping a few screen passes with guys bearing down on him. Now if he starts dropping balls when he’s running wide open then we have a bigger problem.

I said it before, but I had to triple check that Tate only had a single TD in the NFL.  For all we imagine him having sure hands and being a red zone dynamo, a mere one TD on his career stat sheet was a bit odd to see.  I said the same thing with Ross, but seeing as our seasons have been inordinately high in garbage time for the past 5 years you'd think our WRs would have some gaudier numbers. 

(08-29-2021, 11:11 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I like Tate well enough, but he has 1 TD in 3 years (and Thomas only has 1 in 5 years). We drafted Chase to be a big play guy, and score TD’s. We haven’t even seen him go deep yet ffs. He absolutely has to clean up the drops (obviously), but I’m not freaking out over dropping a few screen passes with guys bearing down on him. Now if he starts dropping balls when he’s running wide open then we have a bigger problem.

No doubt. Let's hope he can catch passes when nobody is around him. Asking him to catch passes in traffic is just asking too much. ffs what do people expect?

(08-29-2021, 11:08 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: You're joking, right?

What a bunch of crap.

No I'm not joking. 4 drives have come to an end while we chose to target him over Boyd/Higgins/Tate etc. His issues has sucked the air out of the starting offense the last two games. I'm not in the belief this will miraculously disappear in 2 weeks. Don't think if we are looking at this objectively he should be starting.

(08-29-2021, 11:16 PM)bfine32 Wrote: No doubt. Let's hope he can catch passes when nobody is around him. Asking him to catch passes in traffic is just asking too much. ffs what do people expect?

For him to catch the ball? Which is quite reasonable. I still want to see if it’s any better once he’s actually running routes and getting open. That’s when he’s been making big plays in practice.

I was at the game today and the one pass Joe Burrow threw to Ja’Marr Chase was not pretty but it was catchable. When the ball hit Chase’s hands and he didn’t catch it I think the air got sucked out of the stadium.

I think this is a clear sign of rust with Chase. That said, my worry is that WRs who develop the dropsies and alligator arms often don't grow out of it. Kinda like kickers. It gets in their heads sometimes.

Hopefully he grows out of it ASAP, because we need him to make an impact for us to have a good season.

(08-29-2021, 11:30 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: For him to catch the ball? Which is quite reasonable. I still want to see if it’s any better once he’s actually running routes and getting open. That’s when he’s been making big plays in practice.

Well I doubt it can be any worse...I just found the whole "let's wait until he's not covered" slant to be kinda funny. Dude's been open on every pass he's dropped/

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that this is happening right now. But it's a clear call for leadership. Who's it gonna come from? Joe? Boyd? Mixon? ZT? Callahan/Walters? Someone needs to step up and help the guy out.

God bless Andy and AJ and all those seasons, but they were lead by example-types. Players were often left to their own devices. When Ross belly-flopped, I'm not sure he had the support system he needed to come out of it (I'm also not sure that he didn't). Regardless, I don't want this to linger. If Burrow is the charismatic force we make him out and need him to be, well here's Project #1.

(08-29-2021, 11:37 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Well I doubt it can be any worse...I just found the whole "let's wait until he's not covered" slant to be kinda funny. Dude's been open on every pass he's dropped/

No he hasn’t. He had defenders right on him on both the 2nd and 3rd targets vs WFT.

Bengals rookie WR Ja'Marr Chase (fifth overall pick) with three targets, three drops in his second preseason game. ? pic.twitter.com/hQw1Ak2y0U

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 21, 2021

Chase: A 1st round WR that can’t catch .......Awesome. Well done Scouts, all 3 of you.

(08-29-2021, 11:51 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: No he hasn’t. He had defenders right on him on both the 2nd and 3rd targets vs WFT.

Bengals rookie WR Ja'Marr Chase (fifth overall pick) with three targets, three drops in his second preseason game. ? pic.twitter.com/hQw1Ak2y0U

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 21, 2021

Those defenders weren't close enough to make a play on the ball, they were just close enough to lay the wood on Chase if he caught the ball...and that seems to be the problem. He looks like he's afraid to take the hit.

(08-29-2021, 11:51 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: No he hasn’t. He had defenders right on him on both the 2nd and 3rd targets vs WFT.

Bengals rookie WR Ja'Marr Chase (fifth overall pick) with three targets, three drops in his second preseason game. ? pic.twitter.com/hQw1Ak2y0U

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 21, 2021

Dude, you really linked that as a "defense"? 

I guess we should wait and see how he does when he's not covered. 

Reminds me of what I saw on the Lion's message board earlier. Some were giving Sewell a hard time because he's not very good at blocking; then some dude came in and said "ffs let's wait and see how he looks when he has no one to block". 

(08-29-2021, 11:51 PM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: Chase: A 1st round WR that can’t catch .......Awesome. Well done Scouts, all 3 of you.

The hot takes are flying tonight! He literally goes the very next pick had we not taken him. Are you seriously going to question drafting a Biletnikoff Award winning WR that set records in the SEC at 19?

I mean, Chase might turn out to be a total bust, but literally no one can accuse the team of reaching on him. Or the scouting department of failing in any way.

Chase should be getting way more preseason reps. Kind of ridiculous that he hasnt played football in so long and he's only getting a series. He's been targeted 5 times in 3 preseason games with 4 drops and 1 catch for 16 yards.

(08-29-2021, 11:32 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: I was at the game today and the one pass Joe Burrow threw to Ja’Marr Chase was not pretty but it was catchable.  When the ball hit Chase’s hands and he didn’t catch it I think the air got sucked out of the stadium.

Damn, that's heavy. Thanks for the first-hand account.

(08-29-2021, 11:57 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The hot takes are flying tonight! He literally goes the very next pick had we not taken him. Are you seriously going to question drafting a Biletnikoff Award winning WR that set records in the SEC at 19?

I mean, Chase might turn out to be a total bust, but literally no one can accuse the team of reaching on him. Or the scouting department of failing in any way.

Ring, Ring, Hello......yes, please hold. John Ross would like to speak to you.

(08-30-2021, 12:06 AM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: Ring, Ring, Hello......yes, please hold. John Ross would like to speak to you.

If you can’t see the difference between what Ross did in the PAC 12 and what Chase did in the SEC and the playoffs idk what to tell you. Ross was deemed a reach by most the moment the pick was made. Literally no one called Chase at 5 a reach.

(08-29-2021, 11:57 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Dude, you really linked that as a "defense"? 

I guess we should wait and see how he does when he's not covered. 

Reminds me of what I saw on the Lion's message board earlier. Some were giving Sewell a hard time because he's not very good at blocking; then some dude came in and said "ffs let's wait and see how he looks when he has no one to block". 

Perfectly logical comparison.