Will Ja'Marr Chase Play vs. Patriots? Bengals WR's Suspension Upheld By NFL

Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was an expensive one for Ja'Marr Chase.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver's appeal for his one-game suspension was denied, which means he will miss the upcoming contest against the New England Patriots.

The suspension for spitting on Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey will also cost him $507,156.

Pittsburgh cruised past Cincinnati 34-12, but the most notable moment came when Chase and Ramsey got into an altercation. Ramsey was eventually ejected for throwing a punch after they were each given offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

While Chase denied spitting on Ramsey, video indicated he did:

"I'm sure the NFL, they'll do their due diligence," Ramsey told reporters. "They got a hundred cameras out there. They can investigate. They can see everything, I just told y'all, it's facts."

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Chase planned to argue in his appeal "if he was going to spit on Jalen Ramsey, he would have spit on the face instead of on the floor or on his jersey."

Alas, the appeal was not successful, which means the struggling Bengals will be facing even more of an uphill battle when they take the field against the Patriots. New England is 9-2 on the campaign and fighting for the AFC's No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it, while Cincinnati is 3-7 and coming off three straight losses.

An injured Joe Burrow has been the Bengals' biggest issue, but the defense is also last in the league in points and yards allowed per game.

An aerial attack with Chase and Tee Higgins has been the AFC North team's best way to remain within striking distance during games given the defensive struggles and Burrow's absence. However, that attack will be shorthanded against the Patriots with Chase suspended.

That will allow New England to focus even more attention on slowing down Higgins as it looks to pick up another win and move a step closer toward the playoffs.