Here’s what Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed, Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase said about each other Sunday
As Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jaruis Sneed spoke to reporters at his corner locker on Sunday evening, some teammates nearby gave him good-natured grief.
“You’re no Jalen Ramsey,” came the barbs. And the laughter.
Even Sneed smiled. He and the Chiefs’ secondary had been the target of trash-talking by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the days leading up to Sunday’s AFC showdown between teams that met in the previous two AFC Championship Games — both here at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chase was asked this past week what impressed him about the Chiefs’ defense. “If I’m being honest, nothing,” he said.
Also, he identified Sneed as the Chiefs’ top defensive back but said he was no Jalen Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro corner who now plays for the Miami Dolphins.
No All-Pro selections for Sneed yet, but he’s a candidate this season for games like Sunday’s. He drew the primary assignment on Chase, and they battled — and talked — throughout the Chiefs’ 25-17 triumph.
“We had some words during the game,” Sneed said. “But, you know, check the stats.”
Chase finished with three receptions in seven targets for 41 yards and was kept out of the end zone. He drew a pass-interference penalty against Sneed, and Bengals quarterback Jake Browning went over the top for an early 24-yard completion.
Sneed’s biggest victory was a pass intended for Chase that he batted away at the sideline.
At one point, the feisty battle continued after a play, and off-setting penalties were called. Here’s Chase’s side of the story:
“(He) wouldn’t fight me, so that’s all right,” Chase said. “Just trash-talking. (Sneed) can’t handle it ... I started it off. The whole defense was mad at me. It started at the beginning of the game. It’s just what I like to do.”
Both players entered the game with a “questionable” designation due to injuries. Sneed hurt his calf in last week’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Chase had a shoulder injury and had missed last week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But both said they weren’t going to miss a game that was critical to each team. With the victory, the Chiefs clinched their eighth straight AFC West title. The loss eliminated the Bengals from the postseason.
The Chiefs’ defense, a strength all season, had its troubles early. The Bengals scored on their first three possessions to open a 17-7 lead.
But Cincinnati, on its final seven possessions, wouldn’t score again, and the Chiefs turned the game with their defense. The first big moment came on the Bengals’ first possession of the third quarter. They drove to the 6 and faced a fourth-and-1.
The handoff went to Joe Mixon, and linebacker Willie Gay stuffed it for a 3-yard loss.
“I put my invisible suit on and ran through that thing, unblocked,” Gay said. “I was thankful to be there and make the play.”
The next line in the sand wasn’t drawn on one particular play, but rather a series. The Chiefs led 25-17 when the Bengals took over for a final possession. The Chiefs collected four sacks in five snaps on that drive — two by safety Justin Reid, and one each for George Karlaftis and Chris Jones.
“Guys saw the opportunity to seize the moment,” Jones said. “We got after it. We saw it as our opportunity to close the game.”
The final statement belonged to the Chiefs.
This story was originally published December 31, 2023 at 8:58 PM.