Ja'Marr Chase on Preparing Without Joe Burrow Ahead of Bengals vs. Steelers
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 First practice with Jake as the starter.
00:02 How was it?
00:04 - Good practice overall.
00:04 It was just first day.
00:05 So, I mean, we didn't do nothing crazy.
00:07 Just getting a feel of the new offense.
00:09 We're going to run and keep it going.
00:10 - He seems confident.
00:12 Does that translate to the field?
00:14 Do you notice that?
00:15 - He's pretty confident calling plays.
00:16 I mean, it's no different than Joe.
00:18 So, I mean, he comes in with the same type
00:20 of energy every day.
00:21 - You mentioned offense being different.
00:23 Significant changes, little tweaks?
00:24 - Nah, not really difference.
00:26 Just we got to call it different.
00:29 - What do you think about the Steelers secondary?
00:32 Your first time seeing them this year?
00:34 - Yeah, they're pretty good actually.
00:35 Got Pat, got the rookie right now.
00:39 So, I mean, they got actually two good corners right now
00:43 playing defense.
00:44 Pat moves around a little bit.
00:46 Last time I seen him on tape, 24 was following.
00:48 So, I'm expecting him to follow me.
00:50 But they look good so far.
00:52 You know what I'm saying?
00:53 They play as a unit.
00:54 - The reps today in practice with Jake,
00:55 how different or similar did that feel
00:57 than all the training camp reps that you all got with them?
01:00 - I mean, the training camp helped us a lot.
01:01 You know what I'm saying?
01:02 And I remember telling my guys,
01:04 telling receiver room specifically,
01:06 attack the day every day like it's Joe.
01:08 You know what I'm saying?
01:09 'Cause you never know when we might need Jake again.
01:11 So, you know, the opportunity came
01:12 and we're going to be ready for it.
01:14 - Kamar, in your mind, are all the season goals
01:17 still in front of you guys despite losing Joe Burrow
01:19 as the focus of this team?
01:21 Do you still be great this year?
01:22 - Yeah, I mean, we still control our own destiny right now.
01:25 We still got a chance.
01:26 We still got opportunities on the board right now.
01:27 So, just got to take advantage of it and execute, man.
01:31 That's the biggest thing for us.
01:32 - Do you feel like you have to put more responsibility
01:34 on yourself as one of the best players on this team
01:37 without Joe in the lineup?
01:39 - I mean, I'm sure some guys going to look at me like that,
01:42 holding myself to a standard high,
01:43 but not hold myself to my own standard.
01:46 You know, lead by example.
01:47 I don't really say much unless they have,
01:48 they want me to, but I don't do that.
01:51 But, you know, biggest thing is just being consistent
01:53 overall.
01:54 - Jake said he told the coaches,
01:55 don't water down the scheme, don't hold anything back.
01:58 What's your reaction to that and Jake's approach to that?
02:01 - Yeah, as a quarterback, he wants that.
02:02 You know what I'm saying?
02:03 He wants his job to be hard on him.
02:04 So, you know what I'm saying?
02:05 They might do it, they might not.
02:07 But, you know, hearing that is,
02:08 brings confidence to the receivers and that like that.
02:10 - What would you say Jake's strengths are?
02:12 What would you say Jake's strengths are?
02:14 - Yeah, I'd say his deep ball is one of his strengths.
02:18 You know what I'm saying?
02:18 It could be me and him could work on it more.
02:19 We don't really, we don't really throw it as much,
02:22 but that and him, you know, getting out the pocket,
02:24 I think he showed a little bit of that last game.
02:26 And it'll be more for us to find out for real
02:29 after this next game.
02:30 - You don't really, because it's practice, right?
02:32 Is that what you mean?
02:34 - Yeah, basically it's a little different than game time.
02:36 - Did he exceed your expectations during training camp?
02:39 I mean, obviously none of you guys were planning
02:41 on him getting that many reps with you,
02:42 but then when Joe got hurt,
02:44 you guys got a ton of reps together.
02:45 Did he maybe exceed your expectations?
02:48 - I mean, we didn't work together.
02:49 I mean, it wasn't really expectations for him.
02:51 It was just for us to finally get work together
02:53 and see where we can meet up at in the middle.
02:55 - One of the biggest things a quarterback can do
02:57 is command and lead in the huddle.
03:00 How would you describe Jake in that regard?
03:02 - Yeah, right now he's the man that right now,
03:05 you know what I'm saying?
03:05 If he needs more, so he can ask for it.
03:08 You know what I'm saying?
03:09 If he has any routes,
03:10 I mean, him talked about earlier today,
03:11 this morning in the meetings, you know,
03:12 we was talking about routes with each other.
03:14 So, you know, something like that is just small details
03:17 that we need from him.
03:18 - Dating back to LSU, we've asked you
03:21 and everyone seems to bring up Joe and Jamar,
03:23 Jamar and Joe.
03:24 Are you curious to see what it looks like
03:26 with Jamar and Jake and no Joe?
03:28 - We'll show y'all this week, right?
03:32 So, I don't know.
03:33 You gotta wait to see, wait for the show, man.
03:35 - He had said, if he had spent August with you,
03:39 he doesn't think he could have thrown the touchdown to you
03:42 in the game.
03:43 - Ah, to the pylon.
03:45 We worked at this off season a little bit.
03:50 We actually had a little trouble with that route
03:52 and it showed, you know, actually the good timing.
03:55 I ran a good route and perfect throw.
03:57 So, I mean, it's just timing goes back from us off season,
04:00 you know, just bringing us now.
04:01 I'm glad that we attacked those days
04:02 when we did have the opportunity.
04:03 - To the people across the country who say
04:05 the Bengals are gonna struggle with Joe out now,
04:07 what would your response be?
04:09 - Um, I mean, they gonna say that.
04:10 That's one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
04:12 He's the number one pick, you know what I'm saying?
04:14 That's the organization.
04:15 So when he goes down, everybody gonna say negativity.
04:18 It's just about how we handle it.
04:20 Play our game, play Bengals football
04:21 and, you know, execute, man.
04:22 Stay consistent.
04:23 - Jake wasn't afraid Thursday night.
04:25 I mean, he let go of some deep balls.
04:27 Would that surprise you at all
04:29 or are you looking forward to that?
04:31 - Nah, I mean, that's why I think most of the receivers
04:34 like Jake 'cause we all surprised that, you know,
04:36 he gonna throw it deep and he don't let us know
04:39 he gonna throw it.
04:40 He just gonna throw it, you know what I'm saying?
04:41 So that keeps the receivers alert on any route that we have.
04:44 - Is there a difference to a deep ball thrown by Joe
04:47 versus a deep ball thrown by him?
04:48 Is there an adjustment that you have to make to those?
04:51 - Right now, me and Jake wasn't on it off season wise,
04:56 but I mean, we finally gonna have the opportunities
04:57 to get some downfield throws now.
04:59 But it's all about, you know, timing and preparation.
05:02 As long as we get the timing down now,
05:04 and I think we'll find it.
05:05 - Knowing that a quarterback's gonna be aggressive,
05:08 how much does it affect you as you're setting up routes,
05:09 as you're going through the progression of a game,
05:11 knowing that your quarterback is gonna push those windows
05:13 when they're there?
05:14 - Just, I mean, that's usually the game plan.
05:17 We take shots when we get them.
05:18 It's just how the defense reacts to it,
05:20 you know what I'm saying?
05:21 How the defense plays.
05:21 That's the biggest key for it always
05:23 when it comes to deep shots.
05:24 - You've been in the league a few years now.
05:28 Do stealer games feel different than other games?
05:32 - No. (laughs)
05:36 Every game feels the same to me.
05:37 For real, no different.
05:40 I might hate a team more, but that's it.
05:43 Don't ask who I hate though.
05:44 Camera's rolling.
05:45 (laughing)
05:48 (upbeat music)
05:50 (dramatic music)
05:53 (dramatic music)
05:56 (dramatic music)
05:58 (dramatic music)
06:01 (dramatic music)
06:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]