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          Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase connects with Joe Burrow for first NFL touchdown

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterSep 12, 2021, 06:52 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI - So much for all those drops.

          Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase hasn't had any problems catching the ball in his official NFL debut. And he quickly showed why the Bengals drafted him with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft.

          With less than two minutes left in the first half of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, Chase hauled in a 50-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown.

          The former LSU standout struggled with drops throughout his first preseason. But when things have mattered, Chase has been perfect. He caught all three of his targets in the first half for 80 yards and a touchdown.