The job of the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback is to get No. 1 the ball.
Ja’Marr Chase can attest to Joe Flacco understanding the assignment, and the numbers back that up completely.
Chase has been targeted 54 times in the past three weeks since Flacco took over as the starter. Per Ryan Heath of Fantasy Points, that’s the most targets a receiver has gotten in a three-game span since targets were first tracked in 1992.
9. Ja’Marr Chase has 54 targets over the past 3 games (since Joe Flacco became the starter).
That’s the most targets a WR has ever commanded in a 3-game span since targets became a stat, breaking Isaac Bruce’s record (53) from 1995.
— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) October 27, 2025
Ja’Marr Chase has a new NFL record to boast
With 54 targets comes plenty of production. Chase has logged 38 receptions for 346 yards and two touchdowns since Flacco’s arrival. 12 receptions and 91 yards came on Sunday in the Bengals’ meltdown loss to the New York Jets.
Chase has caught at least 10 passes and posted at least 90 yards in each game, and his season-long stats have been restored to near the top of the receiver leaderboard after eight weeks.
The emphasis on getting Chase the ball so much is reflected in where he’s catching his passes more times than not. His average depth of target since Week 6 is a mere 6.3 yards, the lowest out of 20 receivers with at least 20 targets in the last three weeks. It’s forced him to create after the catch and evade would-be tacklers. His eight forced missed tackles lead all offensive players, not just receivers, in that timespan.
Defenses force Cincinnati to feature Chase in a quick fashion the way they dedicate multiple defensive backs overtop his routes. Quick screens and outs have become the way to ensure the Bengals get the ball in the hands of their best playmaker. Flacco has done his part and then some.
Chase has only seen 10 or more targets in a three-game span four other times in his career, and all four times Joe Burrow was throwing him the ball. The pressure to perform is only raised for Chase when Burrow is incapacitated on the sideline, and while most of the team hasn’t answered the bell, Chase certainly has.
