Ja'Marr Chase on Bengals' rough loss to Browns: 'We just lost to some elves'

Ja’Marr Chase is eating his words, and he doesn’t exactly like the taste. The Bengals wide receiver was pretty bitter following the team’s embarrassing 24-3 loss to the Browns on Sunday.

Prior to the Week 1 divisional matchup, Chase referred to Cleveland as “elves,” giving the team some of that good ol’ “bulletin board” material. And when Cincinnati came up well short, the star receiver was pretty peeved.

“I’m just frustrated because I called their asses elves and we just lost to some elves,” Chase said in the postgame. “So, I’m pissed on my part. … Like I said, we got missed opportunities and didn’t capitalize on that s*** and we lost. That’s how we lost.”

#Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase on the loss to the Browns:

"We just lost to some elves"

(📽️ @OliviaRayTV)pic.twitter.com/yMeZcFXbwp

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 10, 2023

Chase ended Sunday’s contest with just five catches on nine targets. He totaled just 39 yards, leading the way for the Bengals. Joe Burrow was a paltry 14-of-31 for 82 yards.

Burrow’s lousy outing comes just a few days after signing a mega-contract, which made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. He inked a five-year extension worth $275 million. More than $219 million is guaranteed.

So, now it’s back to the drawing board for Cincinnati. While it’s only Week 1, there’s no question the offense has to look a lot better moving forward.

And also, Chase may want to think before calling another team “a bunch of elves” next time. Just a thought.

Joe Burrow struggles in 2023 opener

If you want to give Burrow a pass for his poor performance on Sunday, it’s certainly warranted. The superstar QB suffered a calf strain during training camp, putting his status for the early season in question.

But the former LSU star decided to take the field in Week 1, although he didn’t perform at a very high level. After the game, Burrow said there was no excuse for his performance.

“It felt good enough,” Burrow said of his injury. “It’s one week. Not up to our standard, not up to my standard, but, got 16 more of them.”

The Bengals reached the AFC Championship Game last season and played in the Super Bowl two years ago. You can’t write off Cincinnati after just one week.

Cincinnati gets a chance to get in the win column for the first time this season next Sunday, hosting the Baltimore Ravens. Kick and the game airs on CBS.

Hopefully, for Cincinnati’s sake, the Burrow-Chase combination proves a little more effective.