Ja’Marr Chase says he’s not quite sure how the Kansas City Chiefs will bring his way on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. He only knows that he has to be ready for anything and everything.
It was only one month ago that Chase set the all-time receiving record against the Chiefs with a jaw-dropping effort of 11 catches on 12 targets for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s 16 more yards than anyone else has ever put up against the Chiefs, a previous mark of 250 set by Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin back in 2009. Chase single-handedly put the Bengals over the top in a close three-point loss at Paul Brown Stadium that lost the Chiefs the top seed in the AFC.
Coming into Arrowhead, Chase isn’t sure how the Chiefs will approach him defensively this time around but he knows he’s in for a greater focus.
Ja’Marr Chase spoke to reporters about facing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
“I don’t really know what to expect,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “I expect a lot coming into this game. It’s really about adjusting on the fly once the game comes, so we’ll see when the game comes.”
Those adjustments point to Chase’s quick learning curve which is what has made him such a tremendous asset at the pro level. Even in training camp, Chase was taking his licks for preseason drops that plagued him in the preseason. While he still had several drops in 2021 overall, he’s also turned the corner in terms of consistency.
Chase says he learned much of that while at LSU, when he had to better himself at the position in order to even overcome the coach’s doubts that he could successfully play wideout.
“Les Miles told me I couldn’t play receiver when I was coming out of high school. So that was something I had on my shoulders. Les told me he thought I could play cornerback. I wasn’t in full position at receiver yet, so I just kept working at my craft in the offseason waking up early mornings to work out.”
Chase is at least aware enough of the Chiefs injury report to know that the questions surrounding Tyrann Mathieu‘s ability to play on Sunday will make a big difference for Kansas City’s secondary. Chase closed his remarks to the press on Wednesday with a word about the game ahead and specifically the difference a healthy Mathieu will make.
They have a great defense, a great secondary. If Ty Mathieu comes back, it’ll be a great game. Those guys are unbelievable, which is why they’ve won the championship that many times. So it should be a good game. We’re excited to play against them.