WR Ja'Marr Chase proves Bengals are still dangerous with historic day

Following the Cincinnati Bengals' Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans, WR Ja'Marr Chase expressed his frustrations, saying, "I'm open. I'm always f***ing open." 

That's exactly what he was in Cincinnati's 34-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.

Chase finished the day with 15 catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He had the most catches (14) for either a first down or touchdown in a single game, according to Pro Football Focus.

The third-year wide receiver also became just the fifth player in NFL history to record 15 receptions and three receiving touchdowns in a single game, per ESPN Stats & Info.

It was exactly the day that the Bengals offense needed, especially as QB Joe Burrow, who was off to a historically bad start in 2023, continues to get healthier after reaggravating his calf injury in Week 2.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Burrow was the first quarterback in NFL history to attempt at least 150 passes in his team's first four games of a season and average fewer than five yards per attempt on those passes.

It has been much debated whether Cincinnati should consider sitting Burrow to let him rest, but the team shut down anyone still believing that Sunday.

The Bengals were also without WR Tee Higgins, which only further proves how dangerous they can be when fully healthy.

Cincinnati (2-3) has found a way to stay in a tight AFC North race and is now just one game out of first place. Teams had the opportunity to take out the Bengals and will likely regret they didn't.

With its bye just a couple of weeks away, Cincinnati is getting healthier and a whole lot scarier.