Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase Says NFL Ball Is Harder to Catch, See Than NCAA Ball

Cincinnati Bengals rookie Ja'Marr Chase has provided some insight into his preseason struggles with catching the football. 

Speaking to reporters about his slippery hands during the exhibition season, Chase cited the differences between the ball used in college and the NFL:

"The ball is different because it is bigger. It doesn't have the white stripes on the side so you can't see the ball coming from the tip point so you actually have to look for the strings on the ball at the top, which is hard to see because whole ball is brown and you have the six strings that are white. But for the most part, just have to get used to it and find out what I am comfortable with catching."

Reading anything significant into preseason performances is often dangerous, but it's hard for Bengals fans to not be at least a little concerned with what they've seen from the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 draft. 

Chase dropped four of his five targets in three preseason games: 

The LSU alum's only reception was a 16-yard catch on a screen pass in Cincinnati's first preseason contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 14. 

Leading up to the draft, the Bengals were reportedly deciding between Chase and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell. 

Quarterback Joe Burrow is coming off a rookie year in which he was sacked 32 times in 10 games before suffering a season-ending torn ACL and MCL in Week 11 against the Washington Football Team. 

It's worth nothing that Sewell, who was taken by the Detroit Lions at No. 7, endured his own struggles during the preseason as he moves from left to right tackle. The Oregon alum ranked last among all right tackles with a 27.0 pass-block grade among players with at least 50 offensive snaps, per Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus. 

The offensive line was an area the Bengals could have addressed in the first round. Wide receiver was also a problem area for the team in 2020. A.J. Green disappointed with 523 yards and left to join the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent during the offseason. 

Tee Higgins had a promising rookie campaign with 908 yards and six touchdowns last year. Tyler Boyd was second on the team with 841 yards and remains a good option in the slot. 

Chase had an established rapport with Burrow from their time together at LSU in 2018 and 2019. The 21-year-old won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2019 after leading FBS with 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. 

The Tigers led the nation in scoring offense (48.4 points per game) and total yards (568.4 per game) en route to winning the national title two years ago. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Chase opted out of the college season. He admitted the long layoff may also have impacted his initial struggles in the NFL. 

"I don't want to blame it on me sitting on my butt the whole year, but it probably had something to do with it, of course," Chase said. "There's a bigger ball adjustment, so I don't want to make excuses, but I've just got to be a pro and make the catch."

With the regular season rapidly approaching, the Bengals need Chase to find an answer for what has been going on with his hands. They will get their first look at him in a real-game situation on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.