Whether it's Joe Burrow or Joe Flacco quarterbacking the Bengals Thanksgiving Night in Baltimore, what we do know is the Bengals' first 1,000-yard receiver is going to be covering their latest 1,000-yard receiver.
And NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth can't say enough about Ja'Marr Chase when asked if he thinks Chase can repeat last year's Triple Crown performance.
"I would never put anything past that young man," Collinsworth said recently.
Chase has a steep climb in his bid to become the first back-to-back Triple Crown winner since World War II.
He leads the NFL with 76 catches for a seven-grab lead over 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. But he's in second place by 210 yards, trailing Seattle's Jaxson Smith-Njiba (1,041-831). The Raiders' Davante Adams leads the NFL with nine touchdown catches. Chase is tied for fifth with eight others at five TDs.
"We've had unbelievable receivers in Cincinnati. Great, great players," Collinsworth said. "Isaac Curtis. Chad Ocho Cinco. Go down the list. This guy is one of the best receivers I've ever seen on any team, in any era, anytime. I don't think there is anything he doesn't do great. I love watching him play."
If Chase hits his career average of 88 yards per game (third best all time) this Sunday in Pittsburgh (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) and next Sunday at Paycor Stadium against the Patriots, he'll head to Baltimore with 1,007 yards.
Select Few
Pick a list and Chase keeps climbing up it past the biggest names in the sport and at the position. For instance, Chase needs 109 yards to pass The GOAT Jerry Rice for fourth most receiving yards in a player's first five NFL seasons behind Justin Jefferson, Torry Holt, and Randy Moss.
Chase didn't want to offend anyone when asked if there is one of those great ones that has caught his eye or intrigued him enough to want to meet.
"You kind of put me in a spot right now," Chase said after Thursday's practice. "I grew up watching highlight tapes all day. I never had a chance to have a conversation with a professional athlete growing up. I never wanted to put myself in that position … I wouldn't mind asking Keenan Allen some questions."
Allen may not be on any of the first-five-year lists Chase is on right now, but he certainly will be when it gets to longevity. Chase loves the way Allen runs routes and he's run them well enough to be 14th on the all-time receptions list with 1,026.
But forget having lunch or anything like that.
"I just want to sit down in the film room watch some film. I wouldn't mind doing that. Keenan Allen's one of the guys. Cooper Kupp," said Chase, who played against Kupp in the Super Bowl. "It's a little different when you played against him because when you played against him, the majority of time you try to watch the defense, not him. So it's like you're watching him, but you're watching defense too."
Besides, that would be an expensive lunch if he and Kupp broke bread. You're talking about the last two Triple Crown winners.
"Hopefully he can pay," Chase said.
Little Brother Again
Now that quarterback Joe Burrow is back, Chase can go back to "messing," with his little brother.
"I bump him, I head-butt him, punch him, whatever I can. I treat him like my little brother. I like bullying him a little bit," Chase said. "I can't usually do that when he was injured, but just having him out there, it's just best for everybody. The energy feels good for the whole offense, just making sure he's back. So he definitely puts smiles on people's faces."
On Monday, Chase had no idea Burrow was returning to practice until he saw him getting dressed.
"It was pretty fast. I didn't expect it to be so fast," Chase said of the comeback. "When I saw him getting dressed for practice, my first thing in my head was, I just remember telling (the media) he needed to go get ready to come back and … he's already back. So it happens fast, believe it.
"I think his personality makes him unique. The way he approaches the game makes him crazy. How much he loves the game makes him crazy. That's how much passion he has behind it, and nothing's wrong with that. He just wants to win, and you need people around you like that."
Slants and Screens
Edge rushers Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) and Shemar Stewart (knee) were out of practice again Thursday …
Both Burrow (toe) and Joe Flacco (shoulder) were listed as limited …
Chase called this one a must win and so did wide receiver running mate Tee Higgins, with one more touchdown than Chase with six.
"We win this game (to go to 3-0 in the AFC North), we've got three more games in the division," Higgins said. "Definitely a must win. We''ll be sitting in good shoes." ...
Count Higgins as also surprised when Burrow suited up. He was alerted when Chase asked him, "Did you see Nine?" ...
Once Higgins saw Burrow throw, he offered, "He looked good, brother." ...
Here we go again. This is the fifth quarterback matchup since 1950 between two 40-year-old quarterbacks. The 40-year-old Flacco besting the Steelers' 41-year-old Rodgers did this last month at Paycor. Tom Brady and Drew Brees did it the other three times.
Flacco and Rodgers certainly had to stage the best of the four meetings with a combined seven touchdown passes. Brees and Brady combined for four twice …
Key to the game? The Steelers are averaging a very un-Steelerish 85.7 rush yards per game, 30th in the NFL. They had a had a season-high 147 rush yards in the loss to the Bengals with running back Jaylen Warren going for 127 …
Chase calls Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. "handsy," and Porter leads the Steelers with six penalties. Two were pass interference calls against the Bengals, one against Chase and the other against Higgins. No one has given up more to wide receivers than the Steelers' 190 yards per game ...
