Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase names Shedeur Sanders teammate as toughest defender he's faced

The NFL is a tough business. It’s not usual to see a player dominate that much so when the Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase won the receiving triple crown, it’s a big deal. However, while that puts him on a level of his own, he had to battle with plenty of tough cornerbacks. A Shedeur Sanders teammate on the Cleveland Browns might be the toughest test he’s had yet.

Chase appeared on The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright and he was asked on all things football. When asked if he was being called the league’s best wideout, Chase simply said “I would agree.” When asked about who’s the toughest corner he’s ever faced, he easily responded as well. “It’s easy. I mean, Denzel [Ward], it’s twice a year. It’s one on one majority of the time. He got great feet. He knows leverage, he knows splits. He’s one of the best I like playing.”

These are high praises for Ward, since Chase has made himself pretty much unguardable. Chase thinks Ward it’s the toughest matchup and their battles have been great.

Ward is a great corner, and Chase’s stats show it

Chase has played seven games against the Browns and he has only surpassed 100 receiving yards once. He averages 57.7 yards per game and has only 3 touchdowns against them.

Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns looks on from the sideline during warm ups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio.

As for Ward, he’s played 11 games against Cincy and he’s racked up 3 interceptions, including two pick sixes. Even Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow knows Ward is a problem to face.

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Is Chase poised for another stellar season?

Winning a triple crown two years in a row is pretty much impossible. However, the way Chase plays, with Burrow throwing passes to him, and how the Bengals offense is constructed, there’s a chance.

If Chase wants to do it, though, he has to up his stats against Ward and the Browns. Even more, the actual debt the Bengals have is going to the playoffs. They have too good of a roster to miss the party for three years straight. If they do miss the party again, not even another triple crown for Chase would suffice.