On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals kicked off their season with a 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Much had been said about the slow starts to the season for Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow; however, the pair have now won consecutive Week 1 openers.
Unfortunately, superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase did get off to a slow start to the season, and now an analyst called him one of the “losers” from Sunday’s game.
Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Ja’Marr Chase Called Loser
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase got off to a slow start to the season as he totaled only two receptions on four targets for a total of 12 receiving yards. While the game script resulted in Cincinnati running the ball for a large portion of the game as they never trailed, six Bengals players totaled more receiving yards than Chase.
As a result, Bengals on SI’s Landon Belote named Chase one of the losers from Sunday’s game. Belote wrote: “Chase commanded the attention of the Buccaneers secondary all game long. Targeted just four times, Chase was clearly a focal point for the Buccaneers defense. He finished with two catches for 12 yards, forcing the Bengals offense to find other weapons.”
As Belote mentioned, Chase receiving only four targets was likely due to Tampa Bay’s game plan. However, it was a positive sight to see the rest of Cincinnati’s playmakers step up and take advantage of the opportunity to win their one-on-one matchups.
Five Bengals players had three or more receptions in the win.
Overall Cincinnati Bengals Performance
Finding “losers” in Cincinnati’s Week 1 performance was likely difficult. Despite a couple of surprisingly poor decisions from quarterback Joe Burrow, and the lack of production out of Ja’Marr Chase, the team’s win showed why this Bengals team has its sights set on contention in 2026.
The Ringer named Cincinnati’s offseason roster building one of the winners from Week 1. The Ringer’s Austin Gayle wrote:
“On paper, Cincinnati has everything you need to be a top-five offense.
It was the Bengals defense that needed help heading into 2026, and Cincinnati aggressively went to work fixing a unit that finished last season ranked 30th by DVOA. It sent a first-round pick to the Giants for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II and signed safety Bryan Cook, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in free agency.
The big defensive moves that de facto Bengals GM Duke Tobin (actual title: director of player personnel) made immediately started paying off. On Sunday against Tampa Bay, Mafe had a sack and fumble recovery, and Cook recovered a Baker Mayfield fumble into the end zone, which flipped the game in the Bengals’ favor in the second quarter. The Bengals might finally have the complete roster they need to make up for questionable play calling decisions down the stretch by head coach Zac Taylor.”
Next up for Cincinnati is a tough road game against the Houston Texans. Houston lost their opening game of the season 36-31 against the Buffalo Bills. Perhaps after his quiet Week 1 performance, Houston is where Ja’Marr Chase makes a statement.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Called Out After Buccaneers Win