LOS ANGELES – Ja’Marr Chase isn’t just the case for the best rookie season by a wide receiver in modern NFL history. He slammed the door shut by the simple fact that his instantly stellar play was key to making the Bengals a Super Bowl team.
Rookie of the Year in last season’s Sporting News, Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, stacks up well compared to what Randy Moss did to Minnesota in 1998. Leave it to Chase, Jefferson’s former teammate at LSU, to make sure Moss was no longer on top.
Chase followed Jefferson to win Sporting News NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 2021, an award voted for by players across the league. Moss was also an easy winner in ’98. In between Moss and Chase, Anquan Boldin, Percy Harvin and Odell Beckham Jr. were other recipients of SN ROTY before Jefferson.
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“It was an unbelievable experience,” Chase said as he accepted SN’s award before Super Bowl 56, adding LSU’s connection to Jefferson and Beckham. “I’ve watched those guys play game after game and socialize with them. Being a part of that just gives me confidence. To play with those guys is great.”
Jefferson, Beckham and the rest of the previous ROTY recipients did not attend the Super Bowl as a rookie. Moss’ Minnesota team narrowly failed, losing the NFC championship game to Atlanta.
Based on his regular-season numbers, Chase’s case was solid. To review, compare his stats with those of Jefferson and Moss as rookies:
Ja’Marr Chase’s rookie season
- 81 captures on 128 targets
- 1,455 yards received
- 13 TDs received
- 18.0 yards per catch
- Catch rate 63.3 percent
- 11.4 yards per target
- 21 yards rush
Justin Jefferson’s Rookie Season
- 88 captures on 125 targets
- 1,400 yards received
- 7 TDs received
- 15.9 yards per catch
- Catch rate 70.4 percent
- 11.2 yards per target
- 2 yards rush
Randy Moss’s rookie season
- 69 captures on 124 targets
- 1,313 yards received
- 17 TD received,
- 19.0 yards per catch,
- Catch rate 55.6 percent
- 10.6 yards per target
- 4 yards rush
Jefferson has catch rate and catch in his favor, but he drops the conversation with single-digit TDs and the fewest yards per catch.
Moss had great totals and incredible yards to catch him, but Chase counterattacked with total yards.
Chase played 17 games, but keep in mind the Bengals let his elite quarterback, Joe Burrow, get ahead of the knockout stage in Week 18. Chase got just four goals – with two catches in the 26 metres. – in that game against the Browns, so most of his damage was done in 16 games.
So it’s only fitting that, like after the great 2022 NFL season, this argument goes into overtime when one more factor is considered: playoff performance:
Rookie Ja’Marr Chase’s knockout round (three games)
- 20 catches on 27 targets
- 279 receiving yards, TD
- 14.0 yards per catch
- 93 yards per game
- Catch rate 74.1 percent
- 10.3 yards per target
- 28 yards urgently
Randy Moss Rookie Qualifiers (two games)
- 10 times catching 20 targets
- 148 yards received
- 2 TD
- 14.8 yards per catch
- 74 yards per game
- 7.4 yards per target
- 0 yards rush
Chase is a great thing for the Bengali 4 seed. He’s posted more than 100-yard games with the Raiders and Titans. He scored as part of an epic comeback against the Chiefs while Kansas City was doing everything to stop the man who lit them up with 11 catches, 266 yards and 3 TDs. at Week 17.
Moss has struggled with dropouts and his impact has dwindled significantly in two of the “playoffs” as NFC’s No. Advantage, Chase. Game, set, no match.
Chase has one final test against the Rams; he’ll probably see a lot of Jalen Ransey, the best full-back in the NFL. He knew full well that among the top rookies, the Rams’ Truck had a big Super Bowl 34 against the Titans. Holt caught seven of his 11 goals from Kurt Warner in 109 yards and one TD in St. Louis.
Twenty-two years later, the Bengals beat the Titans in the playoffs and hope to beat the Rams in the Super Bowl. If there’s any doubt about Chase’s case, one final big game in the Bengals win will see him on the run with the title of best rookie ever.
