'It's best against best': Ja'Marr Chase, Pat Surtain II ready for rare battle of WR, CB elites

Cincinnati Bengals adjunct quarterbacks manager Fredi Knighten keeps the aforesaid regular each Monday morning.

First, he'll driblet disconnected his dog, a German shepherd named Vera, astatine time care. Then he'll get astatine the team's office astatine Paycor Stadium astir 6:30 a.m. and commencement accumulating crippled portion for the upcoming week. He'll look astatine the opposing team's cornerbacks and survey the intricacies of their trade -- which manus they usage to jam receivers, however they play releases disconnected the enactment of scrimmage, immoderate tiny item that tin extremity a matchup successful Cincinnati's favor.

The process is the aforesaid each week. But each the accusation volition beryllium particularly invaluable connected Monday night.

When the Bengals look the Denver Broncos astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), it volition diagnostic 1 of the champion matchups successful the athletics -- Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase against Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II. Last season, Chase became the 5th subordinate since the AFL-NFL merger to triumph the receiving triple crown by starring the league successful receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving TDs (17). Surtain became the 3rd cornerback this period to beryllium named Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year aft picking disconnected 4 passes.

Before past season, erstwhile Chase and Surtain squared disconnected successful a Bengals win, 1 had to spell backmost to 1993 to find a akin battle. Jerry Rice and Rod Woodson met astatine the opening of that play en way to being named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

"I deliberation [Chase and Surtain] cherish the moment," Bengals wide receivers manager Troy Walters said. "They cognize it's champion against best. They cognize that, 'If I tin triumph that battle, that's going to adjacent rise my level up, my sanction and immoderate else.'"

The victor of past year's conflict is successful the oculus of the beholder. In a 30-24 overtime win successful Cincinnati, Chase finished with 9 catches for 102 yards. However, erstwhile Surtain was lined up arsenic the nearest defender, Chase had lone 3 catches connected six targets for 27 yards. But the rivalry truly dates backmost to college. In 2019, Chase caught six passes for 140 yards and a touchdown to pb LSU past Surtain's Alabama squad 46-41. Fourteen months later, the Bengals drafted Chase 5th wide successful 2021, and Surtain went 4 spots aboriginal to Denver.

Bengals reserve backmost Mike White, who grew up adjacent Surtain successful South Florida, said it's impre...