Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase began his celebration before he crossed the goal line on his 76-yard touchdown catch on Monday night, turning all the way around and looking at the Jaguars defenders who were hopelessly chasing him. Afterward, he said he wanted to be disrespectful.
Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, who threw the pass, said Chase told him that afterward.
“I saw him turning around near the goal line, and I was thinking, ‘Why is he turning around?’ He said it was because he was being disrespectful,” Browning said.
Chase confirmed to reporters after the game that he knew going in that his mindset was going to be showing a lack of respect to the Jaguars.
“I said I was gonna do some asshole shit — excuse my profanity,” Chase said. “I was going to be a jerk today. . . . I just felt like being an evil person today.”
Chase said the Jaguars got what was coming to them by thinking a cornerback could cover him man-to-man.
“Straight man. No help,” Chase said of the Jaguars’ coverage.
Chase caught 11 of the 12 passes thrown to him on Monday night, gaining 149 yards and scoring that big touchdown, and he said the Bengals wanted to show that they’re still contenders even without Joe Burrow.
“We still can play Cincinnati football,” Chase said. “We showed that today.”