CINCINNATI -- As Ja'Marr Chase stood at his locker, still trying to process what exactly happened in a stunning loss to the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals star receiver kept thinking about the team's last offensive possession.
After a 15-point lead fell apart, the Bengals found themselves needing a late-game comeback for the second consecutive week. But Cincinnati couldn't find the necessary plays and points in a 39-38 home defeat to the Jets, which is no longer the NFL's only winless team.
For the second straight year, Cincinnati (3-5) has been unable to win consistently. But that isn't because Chase isn't doing his part. Over the last four games, Chase has 44 catches. According to ESPN Research, that ties Detroit legend Calvin Johnson for the most in a similar stretch in NFL history. If he gets 10 catches Sunday against the Bears, it will be the most over a 5-game span in NFL history.
"I'm more frustrated that we lost tonight than anything," said Chase.
When the Bengals signed Chase to a record-breaking contract extension this offseason, it was with the hope that he could continue to be one of the NFL's biggest playmakers. If anything, Cincinnati has only doubled down on the four-year deal worth $161 million that Chase earned after a prolific 2024 season.
After quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury on Week 2 and went on injured reserve, Cincinnati didn't waste much time to find a suitable replacement. The Bengals acquired veteran Joe Flacco via a trade with the Cleveland Browns to boost an offense that struggled since Burrow was injured.
Flacco's top priority has been feeding the ball to Chase as much as possible. One week after Chase had 23 targets in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chase had 19 targets in the loss to the Jets. No other Bengals player had more than three.
One of the reasons the Jets pulled off the improbable upset is because they were determined to stop Chase. On Cincinnati's final drive, the Bengals had a play for Chase dialed up. However, the Jets double-teamed both Chase and Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, which forced the ball elsewhere.
New York got the stop it needed in the game's final minute to seal the win. Jets first-year coach Aaron Glenn credited a philosophy he gleaned from Bill Belichick in stopping Chase and Higgins.
"When it comes to defense, those two guys that they have are tough to deal with," Glenn said. "Our guys buckled down and made sure if someone was going to beat us, it was going to be someone else."
That is what Cincinnati has banked on since Flacco took over as the team's starting quarterback. In Flacco's three starts, Chase has 53 total targets, according to ESPN Research. That is the most of any player in the last 20 years. If he has 15 targets against the Chicago Bears (4-3) this Sunday, he'll pass the mark set by Johnson for the most in a four-game stretch in the last two decades.
That usage comes at a time when defenses have tried their best to keep Chase from beating them. Cincinnati has adapted how it uses him in order to prevent teams from overloading coverages in Chase's direction.
"We very much try to throw him the ball as many times as we can within the context of operating our offense responsibly and using all of the other skilled guys that we have," Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said on Oct. 20.
That's a primary reason Chase won the receiving triple crown last year -- leading the league in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17).
As of now, he isn't on pace to repeat the feat. But given his demeanor after the team's latest loss, he'll take a win more than anything.