Ja'Marr Chase dismissed any notion that he was frustrated with head coach Zac Taylor during a spirited sideline conversation in the loss to Denver.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase dismissed any notion that he was frustrated with head coach Zac Taylor during a spirited sideline conversation in the Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
ESPN cameras caught Chase talking to Taylor after another Bengals drive ended in a punt as Denver cruised to a 28-3 victory over Cincinnati.
"Everything I do is pretty much overblown," Chase told reporters in a press conference Oct. 2 at Paycor Stadium. "It happens. That's normal for me and Zac (Taylor). That's not my first time doing that."
Chase explained that Taylor, who has always been known as a players' coach, is always open when Chase needs to get something off his chest.
"Zac (Taylor) lets me walk up to him and talk to him. He wants me to do that. Sometimes my emotions pick up," Chase said. "I might look like I'm yelling, but I'm definitely just talking to him sometimes. That's normal."
Chase said after the loss to the Broncos that his conversation with Taylor centered around plays the offense could potentially use to break out of the current two-game funk. He backed that up Oct. 2, saying calling for more targets is part of a receiver's job.
"He (Taylor) definitely does," Chase said when asked if Taylor lets him vent. "It is good to have. Especially when you're going through a tough game like that. Zac lets me talk to him.
"He's always willing to listen. He doesn't really push me off or nothing like that."
Ja'Marr Chase addressed team after blowout loss to Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football
Early in his first year as a team captain, Chase has had to take a bigger role in the Bengals locker room with the season on the breaking point and the offense stuck in the mud.
The Bengals' explosive offense has been held under 200 total yards in three of four games this season and has managed just 13 combined points over the two-game skid.
"I stepped into more of a leadership role now that Joe's (Burrow) out. I feel like I had to," Chase said. "There's a lot of accountability I have to take going forward for this offense, the receiver room and the whole team in general. Those guys look up to me as one of the best in the league for my work ethic and the way I handle things. Going forward, I gotta be that guy."
Part of that increased role is rallying the troops when things go south, which plenty has when you're outscored 78-13 over a two-game stretch. Chase avoided any specifics but said he talked to the team after the Denver debacle.
"I spoke up to the guys after the game about how I felt about what's going on," Chase said. "I want guys to play with passion; I want them to play with anger because you never know how they'll respond... I just want them to play with a little more fire and anger."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase says talk with Zac Taylor was 'overblown'
Category: Football
