The Cincinnati Bengals offense has stayed afloat with Jake Browning taking over as the starting quarterback in place of Joe Burrow. The team has won three games in a row, including two thrilling overtime victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings.
However, things aren’t going to be getting any easier for the Bengals. Their schedule down the stretch is brutal as they head on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs in Weeks 16 and 17 before hosting the Cleveland Browns in Week 18 in the regular season finale.
Beating teams of that caliber is hard enough. Having to do it without arguably the best player on your team adds another layer of difficulty. That is what the Bengals will be attempting to do as star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Steelers.
NFL News & Rumors: Ja’Marr Chase & Cincinnati Bengals Updates
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was keeping the possibility alive that Chase would be able to suit up, as he wasn’t ruling him out earlier in the week. Alas, he is dealing with a separated shoulder that could keep him out for multiple weeks.
Overcoming the losses of their former LSU stars will not be easy, but Cincinnati has been a resilient bunch this season. Browning has been excellent in place of Burrow and the Bengals are not lacking weapons in the passing game.
Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd will be tasked with stepping into the leading receiver roles in Chase’s absence. Trent Irwin will likely replace him in the lineup as Taylor could put more of an emphasis on getting the ball to their tight end group as well.
The Chase injury will be something to keep an eye on as we move forward. There is a chance this is a multi-week injury, which would hinder the Bengals’ chances of making a run to qualify for the postseason. Hopefully, they can get him healthy enough to suit up after their Week 16 matchup with the rival Steelers.
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