One play made Bengals rookie Chase Brown the second-fastest player in the NFL

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Dec 10, 2023 8:56 PM ET

On top of quarterback health problems, the Cincinnati Bengals' biggest problems on offense have revolved around a lack of speed. Ja'Marr Chase's incredible athleticism is oftentimes not enough to get most defenses in trouble.

Chase Brown was drafted with this reasoning in mind, and he got the memo Sunday.

Brown's first touch against the Indianapolis Colts became his first career touchdown. He flew down the field for a 54-yard score off a screen pass. How fast did he run? According to NextGenStats, his top speed was 22.05 miles per hour, the second-fastest speed measured by an NFL player this year behind just DK Metcalf.

NextGen Stats: Chase Brown hit 22.05 mph on that TD.

Holy ....

That is second fastest for a ball carrier in the NFL this year.

1. DK Metcalf: 22.23
2. Chase Brown: 22.05
3. Tyreek Hill: 22.01https://t.co/EzIvnoJTHF
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 10, 2023

Brown ran so fast on the play he didn't need any help from his blockers. He got none to speak of, anyways. Brown outran each and every angle from Colts defenders chasing him, and when he ran into one, he juked him out of his shoes.

54-yard TUDDY for the rookie @chasebrown____ pic.twitter.com/ToN1Lej3qk
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 10, 2023

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Brown clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash, one of the fastest 40 times for a Bengals' running back in recent memory. He nearly matched that in pads on this play alone.

Honestly, that time doesn't really do this play a justice. Brown explodes so effortlessly as a runner, and that makes him a threat to score any time he has space to do so.

The Bengals have desperately needed an athlete like Brown to help their offense, and opposing defenses will have to respect Brown's long speed from now on.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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