The Cincinnati Bengals, who are in the running for an AFC playoff spot, will be without wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, their best offensive player, when they travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday to play a crucial game.
The top receiver for the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase, sustained a shoulder injury last Saturday. Before leaving the game and watching the Bengals defeat the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 in overtime while wearing street clothes, he grabbed four catches for 64 yards.
The Bengals (8-6) won their third straight game thanks to strong performances from Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd while Chase was sidelined.
In the absence of Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins and Boyd must perform well for the Bengals, who have the most important game of the Week 16 schedule in terms of playoff implications of any AFC club.
Based on the NFL’s playoff probabilities, the Bengals, who are now the No. 6 seed in the AFC, have a 47-percent chance of making the postseason.
With a win, they can increase their chances to 66 percent; if they lose, they can see their odds drop to 20 percent, which is the second-largest swing in the NFL (the Los Angeles Rams have a 58-point swing).
After starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury, the Bengals have benefited greatly from the play of backup Jake Browning, who has been lighting up the league with some of the finest passing stats.
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But not having Ja’Marr Chase is a huge loss. Chase, who’s made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons, has a career-high 93 receptions and 1,156 receiving yards (both seventh-best in the NFL) to go with seven touchdowns.
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The fifth overall pick in the 2021, Chase paired with Burrow, his former LSU teammate, to instantly become one of the best receivers in the game, earning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award with a 13-touchdown rookie season.
Without Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals may be able to defeat the ailing Steelers (7-7), but they will undoubtedly need him back for their next two games against two teams that will make the playoffs: at home against Cleveland in Week 18 and at Kansas City in Week 17.
