How Ja’Marr Chase’s Injury Hurts the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for the next four to six weeks with a hip injury. Cincinnati decided not to place him on injured reserve because the Bengals hope to have him back sooner from the injury, but time will tell if that’s the case or not.

NFL picks had the Cincinnati Bengals as one of the teams to make it to the playoffs in the AFC this season, but that is in question now. How will the Ja’Marr Chase injury affect the Cincinnati Bengals moving forward?

 

Big Play Explosiveness Gone

 

Ja’Marr Chase is a big-play explosive wide receiver. He is always a threat to score a touchdown on any play when catching passes shallow or deep. Chase does things very well when it comes to yards after contact. It is extremely difficult to bring him down because he is so big and strong.

 

Ja’Marr Chase brings so much attention to the Bengals’ offense that it creates room for other wide receivers to get open with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Also, when the Bengals are struggling offensively, Chase has the ability to take over a football game, and quarterback Joe Burrow can usually find him with ease.

 

The way he plays is just amazing. He is one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL. Ja’Marr Chase is extremely hurt because he wants to be out on that football field helping his football team. The offense looks very different without Chase. It just looks like an ordinary offense without him.

 

A Big Drop Off From the Third to the Fourth Receiver

 

On the Cincinnati Bengals depth chart, Ja’Marr Chase is the number one wide receiver, Tee Higgins is the number two wide receiver, and Tyler Boyd is the number three wide receiver. With Chase being out, Higgins and Boyd move up. After that, there is a massive drop-off at the wide receiver position.

 

Mike Thomas and Trent Taylor are the other options, and they are not as good as the other three wide receivers on the current Cincinnati Bengals roster. Thomas and Taylor didn’t even receive many snaps with Ja’Marr Chase sidelined. That is all you need to know what this coaching staff, led by head coach Zac Taylor thinks of this receiving core outside of the top three as well.

 

Depth on a football team matters. They are top-heavy at the wide receiver position, but it might be the best trio in the NFL when everyone is healthy, including Ja’Marr Chase. 

 

Run the Football More With Joe Mixon

 

Joe Mixon is one of the most underrated running backs in the entire NFL Mixon has explosiveness to his game and is another weapon in this Cincinnati Bengals offense. He is very versatile in the offense because he can run with the football and catch passes.

 

Joe Burrow should be throwing some more screen passes for Mixon. That would be a good way for the Bengals to move with the football. Joe Mixon was a Top 5 rusher a season ago and they need to keep defenses honest with this. 

 

Joe Mixon should be lined as a wide receiver as well. He is a better option to catch passes than Mike Thomas or Trent Taylor. 

 

Use the Tight End More Often

 

The Cincinnati Bengals use tight ends in their offense as an extra offensive lineman to block and rarely catch passes. Cincinnati uses them in goal line sets, also. Hayden Hurst and Mitchell Wilcox are the two tight ends in this offense, and they need to be used more in the offense.

 

They have not been integrated into the offense much this season for the Cincinnati Bengals. With them not having wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for the foreseeable future, these are the things that head coach Zac Taylor may have to do before he comes back.