Mirror, mirror on the wall, and for the moment the Bengals' Ja’Marr Chase is the fairest of them all as the NFL receiving leader with 620 yards, six touchdowns and his ever- present list of goals.
Even though he's been named to three Pro Bowls, played in a Super Bowl and has a slew of NFL milestones, Chase said after Thursday's practice he's still writing his season goals on sticky notes hanging on his bathroom mirror just like he has since his freshman year at LSU.
He wastes no time.
"As soon as the season is over, I make a new chart from scratch. Trying to go off the old stuff from my rookie year," Chase said. "Just go off the stuff I didn't do well and make it better."
Chase won't give you much.
OK, jotted 1,500 yards on there, as he has every year since he was a rookie, which would break his own Bengals record of 1,455.
And, he has replaced Pro Bowl with All-Pro, the elite all-star team chosen by The Associated Press, the Pro Football Writers of America, The Sporting News and the NFL Players Association.
But that's about all he'll give you.
"It's how I let myself know what I want to do every day," Chase said. "Some days are those days you feel sluggish, you might not want to be at work. And some days you sit there and just read it. It lets you know where you are at mentally. If you're ready for the day or not."
For all we know, also on Chase's list of goals is winning the Triple Crown, which is leading the NFL in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. The last man to win it was the Rams' Cooper Kupp. Kupp and Carolina's Steve Smith Jr. in 2005 are the only ones to do it in this century.
With Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin out for the year with a dislocated ankle, Chase's 39 catches are 11 behind the league lead Godwin leaves behind.
What we do know is that Chase is on pace for 1,506 yards, but he doesn't know it because he says he doesn't track it. We also know he's got a monstrous work ethic, as evidenced by the daily barrels of balls he catches off the jugs machine during training camp, whether he's in contract negotiations or not.
"He's an elite player and he goes through every practice hard no matter what," says seven-year veteran tight end Mike Gesicki, who played in Miami with Tyreek Hill. "Tyreek is the same way. Practicing hard all the time."
We also know some other numbers Chase has. His 81.3% catch percentage leads the NFL among receivers with at least 48 targets. His 83.4 yards per game are fourth all-time and second among active players on a list headed by Chase's college chum Justin Jefferson's 97.4.
And Chase needs 43 more catches to become the fifth man with at least 350 in his first four seasons, joining Jefferson (392), CeeDee Lamb (395), Jarvis Landry (400) and Michael Thomas (470).
"It doesn't mean everything right now," said Chase of the league leads. "We're still in a hole. If we had a positive record, I'd probably be more satisfied with it. It's cool to see. Those are my expectations it. I'll be more satisfied at the end of the year when I see the full stats."
The full story on mirror goals aren't just the numbers. That's why he has a couple of sticky notes. Also on his list are certain technique reminders.
"Being better at the top of routes. Any route," Chase said. "Be more friendly (to the quarterback), being better coming out of breaks on certain routes. Those type of routes that I have marked on there that I would like to work on in the offseason."
SLANTS AND SCREENS
Chase wasn't aware Sunday's game against the Eagles at Paycor Stadium (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) had been flexed out of a national window from 4:25. Not that he minds not going national.
"Too early," said Chase of a 1 p.m. kickoff. "I'm not a morning person. I don't talk to anyone at the stadium for two hours after I get here.
"Four o'clock is pretty cool. Right in the middle of day time. You get to leave. You can still have dinner with your family. They should have kept it at 4." …
Safety Geno Stone (shin) practiced Thursday for the first time this week and went limited …
Left tackle Orlando Brown (knee) went limited for the second straight day …
