Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase took his team’s budding rivalry with the Cleveland Browns to the next level ahead of the Week 1 matchup between the NFL’s two Ohio-based teams.
“It feels like a regular game to me,” Chase told reporters last week. “It don’t feel no different. It’s just the hooping and hollering about the Cleveland Browns. I was about to call them the elves, but yeah.”
The two-time Pro Bowl selection later added: “If you ask me, I don’t really pay attention to [the hype about the Browns] because Cleveland is Cleveland. I look forward to the matchups that we have when we’re facing them, but other than that, I don’t really be caring.”
While Chase’s comments made the headlines, it was the Browns who would have the last laugh with a dominating 24-3 victory in Cleveland on Sunday. After the game, several Browns players took to social media to throw Chase’s words back in his face, including All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, cornerback Greg Newsome II, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and safety Juan Thornhill.
Cleveland is Cleveland
— Greg Newsome II (@gnewsii) September 10, 2023
Cleveland is Cleveland https://t.co/xTx0kGMK1r
— JOK (@j_owuu) September 10, 2023
The” Cleveland Elves” definitely showed up to play today. 🤷🏽♂️
— The Chosen Juan👑🙇🏽♂️ (@Juan_Thornhill) September 10, 2023
🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/6nq42jwL1B
— Martin Emerson Jr (@MartyMargg1) September 10, 2023
As for Chase, the LSU product was left licking his wounds after catching five passes for 39 yards. To his credit, the 23-year-old didn’t run from his comments, telling reporters after the game: “It’s frustrating because I called their *** elves and we just lost to some elves.”