Aside from the team-wide rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, there was plenty else to keep an eye on in Week 17’s matchup. Somehow, even the playoff implications for both sides were just one of a few intriguing things to monitor.
Perhaps the most interesting of all was the development between Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
Earlier this week, after his return to practice, Chase had quite a bit to say about the Kansas City secondary. Saying he felt “nothing” stood out to him, the Pro Bowl receiver went on to say the Chiefs had no superstar on the defense. He also indicated that double-teams led to their success against the Bengals and even got in a jab at safety Bryan Cook in the process. It was a series of controversial takes just days before perhaps the biggest game of the year for both sides, adding plenty of fuel to the proverbial fire.
The football world ended up getting the matchup it wanted on Sunday, as both Chase and Sneed played through respective shoulder and calf injuries. Sneed got the better of his budding rival, holding up his end of the bargain. With no love lost on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Sneed had a very simple message when asked about his correspondence with Chase after the game.
“Yeah, we had some words,” Sneed said. “I went up to him after the game and told him good game. But you know, check the stats.”
Chase was targeted seven times in Week 17, hauling in three passes for 41 yards. That three-catch mark was his second-lowest of the season and his yardage total was tied for his fifth-worst outing in 2023. The former No. 5 overall pick came into the weekend averaging 82.6 yards per game through the air with a 70.5% catch rate. He failed to come close to either bar on Sunday, which was a testament to Sneed’s stellar outing against him.
According to Next Gen Stats, Sneed lined up across from Chase on 21 routes. Three targets from quarterback Jake Browning came in those scenarios, with the talented wideout bringing in two passes for just 27 yards. It was Chase’s worst career performance versus Kansas City, as he logged his lowest number of receiving yards than expected (-6) out of any of his times against the Chiefs. In the locker room after the game, Chase addressed some of the trash talk from the afternoon and made a comment about Sneed not being willing to fight him.
It’s been a career campaign for Sneed, as the fourth-year man is turning in stellar performance after stellar performance. Asked to guard the opposition’s top wideout on multiple occasions, the veteran defensive back is making a name for himself as a true breakout corner in 2023. He’s setting himself up for a nice payday in the spring, with his game against Chase only justifying that even more.
Dropping to 8-8 on the year, Cincinnati is officially eliminated from playoff contention. This is the last time Chase will see the Chiefs this season, although it almost surely won’t be the end of this story. With Joe Burrow returning next year from an injury, the Bengals will be expected to get right back in the thick of the contender conversation. Their feud with the Chiefs isn’t going anywhere until proven otherwise.
If Sneed is still in Kansas City for the next meeting, there’s bound to be a word or two exchanged from someone in either or both organizations. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones backed up Sneed for temporarily putting the battle with Chase on ice.
“We don’t comment, we just play, man,” Jones said. “We don’t really talk. We don’t engage with the back-and-forth. They do this every year. You know, last year, playoffs. This year, regular season. But kudos to Sneed. Every top receiver that we’ve played against, Sneed has held his own. I don’t know how many yards Ja’Marr Chase had, but I can guarantee you…”
Being alerted that Chase was held to 41 yards, Jones knows the on-field play did more talking than anything else.
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