Ja’Marr Chase has back soreness after Bengals’ win over Bills،
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is dealing with back pain after a hard hit he suffered during Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills.
Chase said a fall on his back led to the injury. He finished the game with it but was unsure of the extent of the injury or his availability for the team’s next game against the Houston Texans.
“I’m just going to support my teammates, man,” Chase said Monday. “Let’s let these guys do what they have to do. The only thing I can do is be healthy for the team and do my best.”
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he believed Chase was injured in the third quarter of the team’s 24-18 victory at Paycor Stadium. Chase leapt back into the air to catch a deep ball from quarterback Joe Burrow, who slammed to the turf after being unable to make the acrobatic catch and was slow to get back up.
Taylor said it was “impossible” to assess his status for Sunday’s home game against the Texans (4-4). The fifth-year coach said Chase’s availability will be monitored on a daily basis. The players are off Tuesday.
“We’ll see as we continue,” Taylor said. “It’s not about trying to trigger any warning signs or anything like that, it’s just painful right now.”
Chase had four catches on eight targets for 41 yards. He said the back problem worsened as the match progressed.
The third-year LSU player is no stranger to mid-season injuries. Last season, Chase missed four games with a hip ailment. On Monday, he said the difference between the two was that the back injury was more to his spine.
After the Bengals faced Houston at home in Week 10, Cincinnati will travel to face Baltimore on Thursday night. The Bengals (5-3) and Ravens (7-2) have won four straight games. The two teams are competing for the AFC North title. Cincinnati lost the first game against Baltimore in week two.
Chase said timing was not part of his consideration when it came to his return.
“You can’t move forward,” Chase said. “I’m not worried about Baltimore right now. I’m worried about Houston ahead of us. One week at a time.”
With Chase battling a back injury and a Bills defense determined to minimize the impact of the two-time Pro Bowler, Bengals receiver Tee Higgins had his best game of the season. He had a team-high eight catches for 110 yards in the prime-time win over Buffalo.
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said the team’s ability to find production from various receivers has been crucial to the team’s success.
Callahan added that between the performance of the other receivers, the tight ends and an effective running game, the offense should be able to hold its own if Chase is out.
“All those things give me a lot of confidence that no matter what we have to replace in production (or) step up for a game, I feel good about where we are,” Callahan said.
