Ja'Marr Chase might have been on to something when he shared a brief assessment of the Cincinnati Bengals' passing attack.
The Bengals' passing game is a known strength for the team, but it seems to be lacking some of its normal explosiveness, and in a number of areas. The team is pushing the ball downfield less, and Chase's yards-after-catch, or "YAC," is lagging behind his career trends.
Those facts have come into focus ahead of Cincinnati's (3-2) trip to play the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) on Oct. 25 at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bengals are already in an 0-1 hole in AFC North play and are seeking to keep pace with the rest of the division.
According to Pro Football Focus, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow is tied for 32nd in the NFL in 20-plus yard attempts (he's thrown just 17 of those, which comprises just 9% of his throws, according to a Yahoo report).
This area of the Bengals offense showed some life in the Oct. 11 win against Miami when Burrow hit Chase on a 45-yard touchdown reception. That was promising, but there haven't been as many plays like it this year. In fact, it's the only Bengals reception to go for more than 29 yards.
"It's the NFL, man," Chase said. "Defenses got to adjust. They've got to be ready for certain stuff."
Also, running back Chase Brown is leading the team in YAC with 136 yards. And Dohnte Meyers (74 yards after catch) has more in this area than Chase (71).
The contributions from Brown and the speedy Meyers are welcome, but Chase lacking in YAC means his blistering speed and elusiveness might be being under-utilized.
For reference, Chase posted YAC of 640 in 2025. During his receiving Triple Crown-winning campaign in 2024, 787 of Chase's league-leading 1,708 receiving yards came after the catch.
Chase (289 yards, 27 catches in 2026) also hasn't notched a 100-yard receiving game yet in 2026. He said that while he thought he was being used appropriately in the offense, there haven't been enough downfield pass attempts in his direction.
Chase indicated that reversing course on downfield and explosive play attempts, plus adding on some YAC, could go a long way toward winning at Baltimore.
"The biggest thing is just winning the downfield catches," Chase said, "the contested catches, especially when we play Baltimore."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ja'Marr Chase on what's working, what isn't in Bengals passing game