Most game plans drawn up by the Bengals include Ja'Marr Chase to a large degree. Most of Cincinnati's wins end up with Chase as a huge factor, but that wasn't the case against the Buccaneers as Chase only had two catches on four targets and 12 yards.
Tee Higgins didn't have a huge day either. He had three catches on six targets and 59 yards, including a drive-extending leap for a reception on the final drive of the game.
There's an important upside to Chase and Higgins having quieter games, and it's that the Bengals had enough skill players on offense to make the plays necessary to beat what most figure to be a competitive Tampa Bay team that will challenge for the postseason.
Tight end Mike Gesicki led the offense with five receptions on seven
targets for 78 yards. On top of Chase Brown's 56 rushing yards, he had five catches for 22 yards. Seven Bengals had multiple receptions.
The Bengals' next opponent, the Houston Texans, are going to think hard about Cincinnati's offense accounting for 26 points and winning on a day when Chase (and Higgins) didn't post their typical eye-popping stat lines.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: There's an upside of Chase and Higgins' quiet game for the Bengals
