Brown’s comments seemed to come from a well-intentioned place, starting with an emphasis on “not turning on each other” in tough moments while crediting the defense for playing “very well early in the season.” But eventually, frustrations surfaced.
“Now that [the offense] is stepping up, we’ve got to play extra football,” Brown said, also via ESPN. “We put the ball in the end zone and go up at the end. Finish the f—— game. Just finish it. As it is. That’s what we need to do — just finish the f—— game. Do them [give] us the ball back, let’s f—— go to ’22 Victory’ and let’s end the game. That’s how I feel.”
Brown wasn’t the only player disappointed with the outcome.
Receiver Ja’Marr Chase was also seen bemoaning the defense’s inability to stop Chicago from scoring in the final 20 seconds of regulation, saying out loud to no one in particular “one f—— stop” as he walked down the tunnel back to the Bengals’ locker room.
When asked about the issue in his locker, Chase told reporters that he had one thought in his mind after the Bengals took a 42-41 lead on the miracle fourth-quarter attempt: “Defense, stop.
It ultimately failed to do so, allowing the Bears to drive 72 yards over four plays, with 58 coming on a Colston Loveland touchdown reception.
If Sunday was the first time the Bengals experienced such heartbreak, it would be forgivable. But that drastic lack of balance between a high-powered offense and a sieve-like defense has been a problem for the Bengals dating back to the start of last season. It was Cincinnati’s biggest weakness entering the 2025 offseason, cost defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo his job and continues to be the burden preventing the Bengals from achieving their lofty goals.
“I’ve never been in this situation. I don’t know how to handle it,” Chase told reporters at his locker after the loss, via Cincinnati Bengals Talk . “I don’t know. I’m just trying to be positive.”
Taylor hopes the loss will be a turning point and a lesson for his team, especially the running back.
“I love Chase [Brown] to death,” Taylor said. “That’s part of my conversation with him. “It’s a bit beyond you.”
Chase, meanwhile, knows it’s probably best to keep to himself and worry about his own responsibilities. After all, he represents their most likely path to victory.
“I’ll be in my lane,” Chase said Sunday when asked if he should criticize the defense or just sit back. “I don’t want any defensive player to come and chew me out on what I’m doing.”