The New England Patriots already had to feel good about going into Cincinnati to play the Bengals in Week 12. Thanks to Ja’Marr Chase, the deck might be stacked even more in the Patriots’ favor.
There’s probably going to be at least another week before Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow returns to game action, and Cincinnati might be without Chase, its all-world wideout, too. Chase was at the center of controversy in Week 11, stemming from an on-field incident with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
The two had a brief skirmish late in the Steelers’ win, and replays show Chase appeared to spit on Ramsey. As such, the All-Pro receiver could face discipline that keeps him out of the Patriots game.
“The NFL is reviewing this and precedent is there if a player is determined to have spit on another player, missing a game is something that has happened,” NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network on Nov. 17. “Jalen Carter to start the season is the example. We will see whether or not Ja’Marr Chase gets suspended this week.”
Patriots Might Face Ja’Marr Chase-Less Bengals
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also confirmed with an NFL spokesperson that the league will review the incident.
A Rapoport noted, there’s precedent for discipline after the NFL kinda, sorta suspended Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter for a game after he was ejected for spitting in Week 1 against the Cowboys. The NFL acknowledged that the ejection essentially was a one-game suspension.
Chase was not ejected for his actions. As Rapoport pointed out, officials didn’t discipline the receiver during the game for spitting, so it’s possible that is factored into the decision, too.
Despite not having Burrow at the helm, Chase is having another fine season. The former No. 5 overall pick leads the NFL with 79 receptions, good for 861 yards and five touchdowns.
Despite being frequently targeted, though, he obviously isn’t reaching his full potential in the Cincinnati offense while catching balls from Joe Flacco. However, it should go without saying that not having to game-plan for a player like that would make life much easier for the Patriots.
New England’s secondary is uniquely positioned to slow down a player like Chase, with the ability to put top cornerback Christian Gonzalez on him or trust in Marcus Jones‘ ability to play him in the slot.
The Patriots have played the Bengals twice in the last few years, mostly limiting Chase in both of those matchups. The standout receiver has 14 catches for 141 yards in those two contests, but he failed to find the end zone in both and also lost a fumble. The two clubs split the contests, the New England loss coming in 2022 when Bill Belichick was still Patriots coach, and the second, a win, coming last season in Jerod Mayo’s debut.
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