Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase must be chain-mover against Dallas

The Bengals had the third-most first downs of Week 1 with 32, trailing only the Chiefs and Colts, who tallied 33 each, per ESPN.com. 

As Cincinnati prepares to take on Dallas, Chase must continue to be a reliable option -- especially if wideout Tee Higgins (concussion protocol) misses the game. The Cowboys allowed just 18 first downs against the Buccaneers, tied for the eighth lowest in Week 1.

Chase is looking to take a leap in his second season after a rookie year in which 69.1 percent of his catches resulted in first downs, according to NFL.com.

Burrow and Chase have been growing their strong connection since they won a national title at LSU in 2019.  

Former LSU co-offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger once said: "Guys around the offense laughed about the 50-50 ball. They said, 'Hey, in this room, with Ja'Marr and Joe, it's an 80-20 ball."