Ja'Marr Chase 'Just A Player' As Bengals Search For Answers On Both Sides Of Ball

Cincinnati lost by double digits despite a good game from Chase.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) runs to the end zone for his 2nd touchdown in the 4th quarter at Paycor Stadium on October 5, 2025. The Bengals lost 24-37 to the Detroit Lions. | Cara Owsley/ The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Ja'Marr Chase is weathering the storm with Cincinnati right now after a third-straight loss to fall to 2-3 on the season so far. Chase looked understandably frustrated again after the game, even after posting six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

He didn't even celebrate one of the touchdowns because his team was getting boat-raced so badly. Right now, he doesn't have any answers for how the offense can find some full-game life.

"I'm just a player. That's more of a Zac Taylor question," Chase said about what the team needs to change. "I just give him my inputs during the game time, on what I see during the coverages, and what leverages I'm getting so I can make a play. That's all I could do. But you know, anything else, making changes for the whole team and organization, that's not my decision."

Cincinnati leads the NFL with 11 turnovers this season, and even with the defense playing a bit better on Sunday, the whole team still looked like one of the league's five worst operations again.

Yes, Jake Browning turned the ball over three times, but it's not like the defense put up much of a fight. They allowed a poor six yards per play to the Lions (six YPP would rank seventh among NFL offenses this season), 23 first downs, and forced one turnover. Cincinnati's defense has to play at a top-10 level to overcome the other side, and that hasn't happened since Week 1.

"If I'm being quite honest, I feel like my guys answered a little bit," Chase said about the receivers staying locked into the loss. "I don't think we answered enough, though. We definitely played with a lot with a lot of intensity today; nobody quit. I loved that for us, but we got to start off a little faster, man, not just faster, but just at least get some points on the board before halftime."

The Bengals now hold a 9% chance to make the playoffs on ESPN's Football Power Index, tied for the worst chances of any 2-3 team along with Arizona.

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