Ja'Marr Chase, the Slot position and Running after the catch

[CJD]

Am I crazy, or did Chase show some of his best moves today just by taking an easy catch out of a slot slant or drag route, and then juking the Ravens players out of their shoes for an additional 10 to 20 yards?

Is this a new thing that they are just now realizing he can do? Is this play not available against NFL secondaries? Or is Chase just exiting a slump and is about to do this every game?

Can someone who watches tape and analyzes this stuff clue me in? :)

[Rubekahn29]

Chase is one of the smoothest runners I have seen in a Bengals uniform. He runs so effortlessly and outruns everyone when he looks like he is not even trying. He has strong legs and runs through a lot of arm tackles. Has some of the agility of Tyreek Hill, but I believe is a little bigger.

[Nicomo Cosca]

He took a simple slant to the house the first time against them, too. We ofc need to keep taking deep shots to him on the outside, but they need to use him like they did today a lot more. His YAC will be insane.

[TecmoBengals]

(12-26-2021, 11:40 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: He took a simple slant to the house the first time against them, too. We ofc need to keep taking deep shots to him on the outside, but they need to use him like they did today a lot more. His YAC will be insane.

He's currently 16th in YAC (not sure if that includes today's game or not). So you're right. His YAC is only going to increase if they keep using him like today.

[impactplaya]

I noticed his routes are expanding more. Start of the season he running
The usual go routes, comeback routes, slants , bubble screens
Now he is running more deep outs, sluggos,
Id like see him.used on more whip routes, stop and go's, drag routes

[Au165]

I also noticed him out of the slot more and will be curious to check his snap count there compared to other games. It’s worth noting they put him in the slot next to Higgins on purpose because it eliminated the ability to double both when in two high, but also force the single high safety to respect middle of the field threat and he can’t get over to help either outside guy.

I’d love for a beat reporter to ask Zach about that as it seems like a counter move to how teams have been playing him. Also it didn’t seem to hurt Boyd’s production because they were putting the Hb out wide to force the CB out in zone coverage.

[thompson19osu]

(12-26-2021, 11:53 PM)impactplaya Wrote: I noticed his routes are expanding more. Start of the season he running
The usual go routes, comeback routes, slants , bubble screens
Now he is running more deep outs, sluggos,
Id like see him.used on more whip routes, stop and go's, drag routes

I would love to see him on drag routes. I don’t know what it was but it seemed like he was almost used as an outlet over the middle of the field to offset the blitz. Rather than a check down to a RB it almost seemed like a checkdown option over the middle to him. Either way I loved it.

[MasonDT70]

His after the catch ability is great. I know he's had a few of those earlier this year, but this game it seemed like he was used I'm that way more. He should definitely be used on more rac type routes.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(12-26-2021, 11:28 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Am I crazy, or did Chase show some of his best moves today just by taking an easy catch out of a slot slant or drag route, and then juking the Ravens players out of their shoes for an additional 10 to 20 yards?

Is this a new thing that they are just now realizing he can do? Is this play not available against NFL secondaries? Or is Chase just exiting a slump and is about to do this every game?

Can someone who watches tape and analyzes this stuff clue me in? :)

Dudes smooth is all like the first response said. Chase is a bizarre talent with his balance, route running, physicality and the way he 
can just make NFL players look silly. It just comes natural to him. Haven't seen a WR like him, he is a RB too with his vision after the
catch. He sees his blockers in front of him and gets behind them better than any WR I have ever seen.

Tee is coming into his own too big time. That was a MAN CATCH today over 2 Ravens for that 52 yarder. Went up, high pointed the 
ball with his 6'4" frame and came down with it. Tee Higgins needs to be mentioned more, he might be even better than I thought.

[Nicomo Cosca]

Ja'Marr Chase only had 80 slot snaps coming into this game (5.3 snaps per game) with 12 targets (less than 1 per game).

In week 16, he had 12 slot snaps, was 3-3 with 57 yards. He averaged 14.3 yards after the catch per reception on a 4.7 aDOT. A nightmare in space.

— Andrew Russell (@PFF_AndrewR) December 27, 2021

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(12-27-2021, 02:27 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Ja'Marr Chase only had 80 slot snaps coming into this game (5.3 snaps per game) with 12 targets (less than 1 per game).

In week 16, he had 12 slot snaps, was 3-3 with 57 yards. He averaged 14.3 yards after the catch per reception on a 4.7 aDOT. A nightmare in space.

— Andrew Russell (@PFF_AndrewR) December 27, 2021

Keep it up. Loved Boyd's route for the early TD BTW. Was a thing of beauty.

[*Synric*]

(12-27-2021, 12:05 AM)Au165 Wrote: I also noticed him out of the slot more and will be curious to check his snap count there compared to other games. It’s worth noting they put him in the slot next to Higgins on purpose because it eliminated the ability to double both when in two high, but also force the single high safety to respect middle of the field threat and he can’t get over to help either outside guy.

I’d love for a beat reporter to ask Zach about that as it seems like a counter move to how teams have been playing him. Also it didn’t seem to hurt Boyd’s production because they were putting the Hb out wide to force the CB out in zone coverage.

I feel like Zac has been setting up that route for Boyd all season with the option route they have used all year... and just excellent sell by Joey B with his head/eyes getting the single high safety to drive to the sideline.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(12-27-2021, 02:36 AM)Synric Wrote: I feel like Zac has been setting up that route for Boyd all season with the option route they have used all year... and just excellent sell by Joey B with his head/eyes getting the single high safety to drive to the sideline.

Yes, gives me high hopes for the rest of the year. Seen a lot of set ups, like we are just biding our time till we catch a Defense
at the right moment. Burrow looked so confident in this game even when there was pressure it didn't matter. We would run a 
play to set them up for another one. That route by Boyd was just clean and broke the game. The Ravens were pretty much 
done after that besides Andrews heroics.

[J24]

Surprised we haven't seen more of him in the slot this season. I think it was Locked on Bengals where Zac Taylor compared the style of Chase to Cooper kupp. Both are sdynamic after the catch. With Kupp playing a lot of slot with the Rams you would think that the Chase would be as well. Considering that both play in the same system.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/nfl/bengals/.amp/news/zac-taylor-compares-jamarr-chase-to-cooper-kupp-in-two-key-areas

[Housh]

Idk about you guys but i absolutely love knowing that the safety over top of Chase is going to be committed to him 9/10 plays. Burrow seems to know exactly when to bomb Chase and it makes it easy for him


I don’t want Chase in the slot. One it would totally screw Boyd and 2 our offense doesn’t need it

[JaggedJimmyJay]

I want Chase everywhere he can be productive. A diversified offense is a better offense.

[*SHRacerX*]

(12-26-2021, 11:28 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Am I crazy, or did Chase show some of his best moves today just by taking an easy catch out of a slot slant or drag route, and then juking the Ravens players out of their shoes for an additional 10 to 20 yards?

Is this a new thing that they are just now realizing he can do? Is this play not available against NFL secondaries? Or is Chase just exiting a slump and is about to do this every game?

Can someone who watches tape and analyzes this stuff clue me in? :)

I had been talking about this for weeks.  Using your best weapon on checkdowns.  Mahommes and Brady had done it a ton.  I argued that on 3rd and medium, instead of using Chase to take the top off the defense, he should be there for a checkdown if the down field throws don't have time to materialize.  

Well, kudos to ZT and Callahan, as they made that adjustment this week.  It was a thing of beauty watching Chase in space.  

One play, he dumped it perfectly to Chase, who immediately accellerated by his man (untouched), made the next guy miss because he underestimated his ability to slide back against the direction of the end zone (whiff), made another tackler miss up the sideline (whiff) and then completed the trifecta by jumping over a guy as he went out of bounds (strike three, you're out!).  It was hilarious and beautiful.

Chase is such a weapon all over the field.  And I LOVED that they took deep shots with Higgins, Boyd, and even Mixon!

Not being predictable on the deep routes opened up the deep ball!  Defenses will have to account for every weapon over every inch of the field.  

FWIW, I know this will sound really greedy, but Mixon and Uzo both had about another 30 yards receiving as they JUST narrowly were ankle tackled several times each and there was a lot of green ahead of them.  

[treee]

(12-27-2021, 03:49 AM)Housh Wrote: Idk about you guys but i absolutely love knowing that the safety over top of  Chase is going to be committed to him 9/10 plays. Burrow seems to know exactly when to bomb Chase and it makes it easy for him


I don’t want Chase in the slot. One it would totally screw Boyd and 2 our offense doesn’t need it

You can take the top off the defense from the slot too. He should be lining up everywhere. 

[Daddy-O]

(12-26-2021, 11:28 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Am I crazy, or did Chase show some of his best moves today just by taking an easy catch out of a slot slant or drag route, and then juking the Ravens players out of their shoes for an additional 10 to 20 yards?

Is this a new thing that they are just now realizing he can do? Is this play not available against NFL secondaries? Or is Chase just exiting a slump and is about to do this every game?

Can someone who watches tape and analyzes this stuff clue me in? :)

He's got unbelievable awareness once he catches the ball.  Very talented WR.