The first half of Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans was defined by defense. Yards were seemingly at a premium, as both offenses struggled to move the ball. 

We were scoreless late into the second quarter before Cincy's dynamic duo of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase finally showed up and coordinated on what will go down as one of the best plays of the year.

On a first-and-10 from the Texans' 32-yard line, Burrow identified Chase deep downfield one-on-one with cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Stingley is one of the best defensive backs in the league, but Burrow decided to roll the dice. It proved to be the correct decision, as Chase readjusted mid-air and made an incredible grab for the first touchdown of the game.

Check out what happened here:

Look at it again: Chase had to adjust to the ball, swing his body around, keep his feet in bounds with a couple toe drags — and oh yeah, actually catch the football.

If you recall, Chase and Stingley were actually college teammates on that famed 2019 LSU team. They have faced off against each other just once before, back in Week 10 of the 2023 season. In that game, Chase exploded for 124 yards and a touchdown. 

Plays like this are why Chase is arguably the best wide receiver in the National Football League. He joined Randy Moss as the only two players to record 1,000 yards receiving and at least seven touchdowns in each of a player's first five seasons. He has averaged the third-most receiving yards per game in NFL history with 86.7. Not only is Chase a home-run hitter capable of scoring on any touch he gets, but he's remarkable when it comes to reeling in those catches that not many athletes can. This one will be included in the NFL's 2026 highlight reel. 

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