Ja'Marr Chase is letting everyone know who's to blame for the Bengals' late-game missteps.
The star receiver seemed to throw coach Zac Taylor under the bus Sunday night after another heartbreaking loss, this one a 34-27 setback to the Chargers.
“How do I do that? I don't know, ask Zach. Ask the coaches. “Don't ask me, that's not my job,” Chase said when asked about closing games after the Bengals fell to 4-7. “I play football on the field. I don't call plays for us, you know? So I can't really do anything.”
When asked if the tough finishes were related to the plays, Chase replied: “I don't know.”
The Bengals' season may be winding down in a loaded AFC playoff picture and Chase's comments may be a sign that this team is starting to unravel.
It's also fair to speculate whether Taylor would have lost support in the locker room if star players like Chase were willing to mention him while discussing the team's failings.
Cincinnati is now an impressive 1-6 in games decided by seven points or fewer, now including back-to-back losses in this scenario.
Losing tough games can be a fluke, but some point to training as the difference. While answering another question, Chase pointed to the training worker.
“I don’t know why we didn’t finish,” Chase said. “I don't know what we're doing to give ourselves an advantage to finish the race.”
In Sunday's loss, the Bengals rallied from a 27-6 hole to tie the game with 12:21 remaining in the fourth quarter when Chase scored his second goal.
The former LSU star finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two scores.
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson later missed field goals on consecutive possessions and the Bengals punted after a three-and-out after receiving the ball at their 16 with 1:26 remaining.
The defense then allowed a four-play 84-yard drive.
While Chase seemed to think Taylor could have coached better, quarterback Joe Burrow said he missed some throws and blamed the team as a whole.
“You just have to make the plays. We're not down and we're not a good enough team — our margin for error is slim, so we've got to make those plays,” Burrow said after throwing for 356 yards and three touchdowns. “I've got to make those plays, and we all have to.” To make those plays.”
Both Chase and Burrow agreed that this was the most frustrating season of their careers, as the two former LSU teammates played admirably amid all the losses.
The Bengals likely have to win five of their last seven games to enjoy a return to the playoffs, otherwise Taylor could find himself under the microscope.
“I still believe in the guys in that locker room,” Chase said. “You just have to find ways to finish.”
