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          Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase puts drops in past with big NFL debut in victory over Minnesota Vikings

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterSep 12, 2021, 11:03 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 -- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's first words after the team's victory over the Minnesota Vikings were aimed squarely at the discourse surrounding rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

          "I thought he was dropping everything," Burrow sarcastically quipped moments after he walked past Chase before speaking with the media for his postgame news conference on Sunday.

          Chase, who battled drops in the preseason, had a team-high five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals' 27-24 overtime win at Paul Brown Stadium.

          The fifth-overall pick in this year's NFL draft said he was aware of all the chatter surrounding his catching woes and dismissed it all as "trash talk." After the game, Chase said he was confident he would perform when it counts.

          "I know I was going to do it," Chase said. "It was just a matter of time. Just play my game and focus on what I came here to do, and that's what I did."

          Chase had zero drops in his NFL debut that ended up being the most productive by a Bengals rookie in a season opener. He broke the Bengals' franchise record for receiving yards in a debut, previously set by Jordan Shipley (82 yards in 2010). The former LSU product had his biggest play of the game when he went down the right sideline and hauled in a 50-yard catch for a touchdown with 35 seconds left in the first half, after which he did his signature "Griddy" dance in the end zone.

          "I thought he delivered," Bengals running back Joe Mixon said. "That's what we picked him for."

          Questions about Chase's catching ability were among the dominant storylines during his rookie training camp. Last week, Chase commented on the difference between the balls in college and the NFL, which prompted a few headlines, as well.

          It wasn't all media chatter, though.

          Burrow said that he was approached this week by some saying they hoped Chase would play well on Sunday. Burrow simply shrugged off the concerns for his former LSU teammate and told them not to worry.

          "It's Sunday, it's game day," Burrow said as he recalled that conversation. "He's going to come ready to play."