Ja’Marr Chase Chases Triple Crown and Himself: “I’m In My Own Lane”

Not only is Chase, a three-time Pro Bowler, in a race with Lamb, another three-timer, he can match wits with the NFL’s most prolific cornerbacks combination in Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. If Chase leads the NFL in most touchdown catches of at least 50 yards since entering the league in 2021, then Diggs has a league-best 17 interceptions. Bland has the second most interceptions since 2022 with 14.

They have yet to play together this season. Bland just returned from a foot injury that sidelined him until two weeks ago, and Diggs hurt his knee three weeks ago and is a game-time decision after being limited in practice all week.

Chase might be trying to make memories. But he has had his opposition put out.

“Two great, outstanding corners,” says Chase. “One led the league one year and the other almost did.”

And he also knows all about Lamb. Lamb got last season what Chase wants this season and has written it down his famous sick note on his mirror:

“CeeDee is also versatile,” says Chase. “He started in the field in college. A little more shifty … I like how shifty he is … I’m not competing against them. I’m competing against myself.”

Chase also knows that Cowboys defensive coordinator, old friend Mike Zimmer, was the head coach of the Vikings in his first NFL game. The one where he provided a foreshadowing worthy of a classic novel with five catches for 101 yards and a 50-yard touchdown that started the wave of 50-plus scores.

“I’m sure they won’t play the same way. Completely different,” Chase says of the man-to-man he scorched in that long-ago opener. “Probably be more two-high (zone). They have a great defense over there. They probably trust their players to play one-on-one. I’m sure he trusts his players.”

Zimmer, who began coordinating NFL defenses the year Walters was drafted, is the first to know Chase isn’t the same player from September to Remember.

“He’s seeing more tape,” Walters says. “He understands how to watch tape, and not just watch plays, but watch different guys. See schemes and what they’re trying to do.”

Chase will tell you that he wasn’t always so aware of the game and its intricacies. He has to go all the way back to his sophomore year at LSU against Florida to remember his first real film session, thanks to the cerebral Ohio State transfer named Burrow.

“I just got around the right people to put me in positions and teach me those positions,” Chase says. “Joe was actually one of the first people to sit me down and watch film. I learned a lot from him in college, and when Joe Brady was my coach there, those two guys together really helped my intelligence… I started to see defenders and DBs and how they move.

Walters is still trying to think of the smartest thing he’s seen Chase do. Because there have been many, he wants to be sure he picks the right one. But he can tell you why he’s had to be so smart this year. Last year, 49 of his goals came in place, per Pro Football Focus. This year he is already 46 with five games to play.

“He’s learning several different positions, and within each position, each spot you line up, the coverage changes,” Walters says. “On the outside, you’ve got to hit the corner. On the inside, you’ve got to hit a nickel and a linebacker. If you’re No. 3, you’ve got to hit a nickel, a middle linebacker and a safety. Everything changes when you move around, and he has done a good job of understanding coverages, what they’re trying to do, what we’re trying to do by putting him in different spots, and that’s why he’s excelled.”

Burrow doesn’t do much at the first filming session. Looks like Chase didn’t need much prompting.

“You see him. He’s Ja’Marr,” Burrow says.

“He might say give me a game, but he’s going to go full speed with 100 percent game so we can put that rep into the game. He’s been that way since we were in college together. He wants it full speed game rep,” says Burrow. “That’s how you have to do it if you want to be great. If you run it like a game in practice, you come to the game, you already have a rep in that situation. I know how fast he’s going to run , and I can put the ball where I need to and judge his speed because I’ve seen it so many times in training now that once we get to the game, his full speed is no different, it’s him day in and day out in.

When it comes to a play where he has to use sheer brainpower more than talent, Chase can’t separate them.

“I feel like I do it every game now. Now that I’m moving around more, I have to think more,” Chase says. “I feel like I do that every game.”

Walters can’t pick out his smartest play, but one thing he has in common with Hall-of-Famers, Walters says, is taking very few plays and making the most of his chances. Lamb led the league in goals entering Sunday, per PFF, while Chase was fourth. In the last three games, Chase has played at least 94% of the snaps. He has taken all but 30 snaps this season.

“All the elite guys I played with took care of their bodies. They didn’t come out of play,” Walters says. “He doesn’t need a lot of breaks. He’s like that in practice. He can go the whole practice. Never has a problem with hamstrings or soft tissue injuries. In the game, he can get out one or two snaps. He” I want to play most of the game. He is also special in that respect.”

Walters just can’t pick out one of his smartest plays. OK, there’s the famous “Retro,” call from the last series in Baltimore last month when he broke out 21 yards down the sideline on a play that set up his own touchdown to cut the lead to one and put the Bengals in position to win at the last minute.

“We hadn’t repeated it. It wasn’t in the game plan,” Walters says. “But no, I have to think.”