BALTIMORE _ Three-time Pro Bowl Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, the only player with multiple games of 160 receiving yards against these Ravens, is coming off last month's 193-yard onslaught and isn't quite sure why he has so much success against one of the NFL's traditionally toughest defenses heading into Thursday night's game at M&T Bank Stadium.
One thing he knows is that's the defense that shows him the most one-on-ones.
"Them and Cleveland probably, yeah," Chase said this week. "They trust their DBs, we trust our receivers when we get opportunities in one-on-ones."
Pro Football Focus has Chase making his biggest plays against Marlon Humphrey, one of the league's better cornerbacks. PFF charged him with Chase's 41-yard touchdown catch last month and with Chase's career-long 82-yard-catch-and-run touchdown three years ago in his 201-yard game here in the Bengals' 41-17 victory.
Last month, Chase popped a 70-yard screen pass for a touchdown when linebacker Malik Harrison got blocked on the perimeter and Chase sped past Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith. That play is a big reason Chase is third in the league in yards after catch.
That play also gave him 10 career receiving touchdowns of at least 60 yards, the most in the league since he was a rookie in 2021. He also has the most 50-plus touchdown catches with 11 and 40-plus with 15, but he hasn't had a catch longer than 13 yards in the last three games.
Chase says since last month's game against the Ravens, he's seen primarily shell coverage. Even though wide receiver Tee Higgins (quad) is doubtful and has missed the last two games, Chase is still thinking "man,' after Higgins had 83 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens.
"It will be a little twist and turns, just because Tee's down or last minute," Chase said. "We'll see how that goes. But … probably … I think man, probably (with) what Baltimore's got going on."
AMAZON REUNION
Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki hooks up with old friend Ryan Fitzpatrick when the Amazon Prime crew gathers to call Thursday's game. Fitzpatrick, the former Bengals quarterback who played with Gesicki in Miami, stopped by the Bengals hotel the morning of the game. Gesicki has been reminded all week about Fitzpatrick's role in the night Ted Karras saved his life when all three were playing in Miami.
Or lack of a role when Gesicki choked on a piece of steak at Karras' Fort Lauderdale home during an offense dinner.
"I had a filet and the first bite stuck in my throat. I was in full panic," Gesicki said. "Fitz was in full-Dad mode. He's got seven kids and he switched right away. 'Hey buddy. You'll be OK. Put your arms over your head.' And I'm thinking, 'Fitz, I'm not going to be OK. I'm dying and putting my arms over my head isn't going to help.' Ted saved me. He didn't know what he was doing, but he saved me."
Karras knew enough to grab him from the back and squeeze to begin to dislodge the meat. Karras didn't know it, but he had just performed the Heimlich Maneuver, named after Cincinnati doctor Henry Heimlich.
"That's a full circle moment," Gesicki said. "My ribs were sore the next day. It was 30 to 45 seconds and when you can't breathe, it seems like 30 to 45 minutes. It was serious, but after a little bit we were getting on each other about it."
Nothing funny about it. But it was four years ago, and so Fitzpatrick had to take some grief for his arms-over-the-head advice.
Also visiting the hotel was Amazon host Andrew Whitworth, the former Bengals Pro Bowl left tackle. He brought along his very tall 12-year-old son Michael, quite the polite young man who shook hands and revealed he's a left tackle.
"Look at his feet," Big Whit said, and Little Whit isn't so little.
JA'MARR'S WAKEUP CALL
Funny thing about that 201-yarder against the Ravens when Chase was a rookie. He missed the walkthrough the day before the game.
"I missed a whole meeting, came in at like 10 (a.m.) and then played in that game at Baltimore. That was my last time being late, though," Chase said. "That was the best game I had all season and I came late so they were saying it's cool but I know damn well it wasn't cool."
Actually, Chase had a better game that year with 266 yards against the Chiefs. But the point had been made. Rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton was reportedly benched last Sunday because he missed the Saturday walkthrough.
"It's just rookie year, getting up, you've got to know what's the scheduled time and so that's what it was for me," Chase said. "I wasn't used to waking up early and (knowing) the schedule times.
"I'm not going to speak for him but you know it's going to happen. You live and learn."
Head coach Zac Taylor has indicated Burton is going to play Thursday.
SLANTS AND SCREENS
It's a matchup of the quarterbacks who have combined for the NFL's last four games with five passing touchdowns. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has had two this year, one against the Ravens, and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had one this year and one last year …
Chase isn't exactly overwhelmed by Gesicki's performance of "The Griddy," after his two touchdowns last Sunday even though Gesicki asked him to join.
"I want to ban him from doing that Griddy. Yes, I do. I'm not going lie," Chase said. "Mid-dance I started to laugh too hard. It's much funnier in person watching it than it is on video. I'm going to try to get him doing the real one soon.
"He's running. He's running."
Told that Gesicki, a New Jersey native, may have done "The Jersey Griddy," Chase wasn't convinced.
"The Jersey? Nah. That's just the Gesicki Griddy," Chase said. "That's what you call that."
