Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase isn’t one to mince words.
The prime example was his pre-game comments about Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. And now he’s provided more proof in the wake of his team’s loss to those Cowboys in Week 2.
Asked why the Joe Burrow-led offense has struggled so much through two games, Chase hit the proverbial nail on the head.
“I just think people know how to adjust to us now,” Chase said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I feel like we need to learn to make more adjustments in game. Everybody knows what we’re going doing to do now. So everyone knows what to expect when we play.”
From the outside, it’s a little concerning the Bengals had all offseason to mix it up with the understanding teams would run more two-high safety looks in order to adapt to what they did last season.
But Chase also pointed out another issue — the team didn’t take many shots.
“We had to go to a quick game,” Chase said. “We’ve got to take some shots still. You’ve got to get that protection down, too. That’s the only way you can take shots. If Joe doesn’t have time, you can’t throw down the field.”
The offensive line needed to hold up against one of the league’s best pass-rushes for the second week in a row. But execution across the board, plus an apparent lack of counter-adapting after the offseason, has all combined to create a brutally slow start to what should be one of the league’s most explosive attacks.