Ja’Marr Chase: Ask Zac Taylor how we’re going to finish, that’s not my job

After Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Chargers, the Bengals were once again looking for answers now that the club has fallen to 4-7.

Head coach Zac Taylor and several players cited the need to “close” games properly, as six of Cincinnati’s seven losses in 2024 have been by one possession.

But when receiver Ja’Marr Chase was asked how the team can finish better, he pointed to the familiar food chain.

“How do I do that? I don’t know,” Chase said. “Ask Zac. Ask the coaches – don’t ask me. That is not my job.”

Not his job to finish?

“I play football on the field,” Chase said. “I don’t call plays for us, you know? So I can’t really do anything.”

Asked if he thinks plays are part of why Cincinnati hasn’t finished, Chase said, “I don’t know.”

By any metric, Chase is having another great season. Through 11 games, he’s caught 73 passes for 1,056 yards with 12 touchdowns — meaning he’s now had at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons. He caught seven passes for 75 yards with two touchdowns Sunday night.

But in the locker room after the loss, Chase looked and sounded like a player who would much rather win.

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter how well I perform at the end of the day,” he said. “Having all those numbers and losing – not good.”

Taylor noted that he feels the Bengals can still make the postseason. But when asked if he feels it’s realistic, Chase once again had no answers.

“Honestly, I don’t know, man. I have no idea,” Chase said. “I still believe in the guys in this locker room. We just have to find ways to finish.”