Cincinnati’s talented wide receiver says Denzel Ward is his toughest matchup.
The Cleveland Browns have owned their little brothers to the south, aka the Cincinnati Bengals, going on seven years now.
Starting in 2018, when the Browns swept both games against the Bengals, Cleveland won nine out of 11 in the series, with the handful of Cleveland losses coming in meaningless games, like last December’s with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, or the season finale in 2023 with Jeff Driskel getting the starting nod.
Related: Browns vs. Bengals – 5 memorable games
That run of dominance has overlapped with the rise of Cincinnati’s offense behind quarterback Joe Burrow, who has won just three times in eight starts against the Browns while taking 27 sacks and averaging under 250 yards per game, the lowest against any team has played more than four times; and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who in seven career games against the Browns has been held under 60 receiving yards five times and has just three receiving touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase’s Lists His Top-5 CB’s in the NFL
-Via the Sitdown interview as @Real10jayy__ sat down with @Wrightreportt to discuss in full and talk about MUCH more
Link:https://t.co/MfE3tKezYe pic.twitter.com/6ax1WukBzl
— The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright (@sitdown513) July 12, 2025
It is no surprise, then, that during an appearance on The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright podcast, Chase named Cleveland’s Denzel Ward as the toughest cornerback he has faced in his four seasons in the league.
“It’s easy. I mean, Denzel. It’s twice a year. It’s one-on-one a majority of the time. He’s got great feet. He knows leverage, he knows splits. He’s one of the best I like playing.”
According to NFL.com, Ward has been active in five of the seven games the Browns have played the Bengals since Chase entered the league in 2021. In those games, the Browns have limited Chase to a total of 32 receptions for 359 yards, although he has pulled in all three of his touchdowns.
Ward may not have been covering Chase exclusively, but it’s clear his being on the field has made an impact for Cleveland’s defense.
DENZEL WARD TOOK IT 100 YARDS FOR THE PICK-SIX
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/lz5UIww2tt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 7, 2021
The Browns and Bengals renew their rivalry this fall when they open the 2025 NFL season on September 7 in Cleveland, and then meet again on the season’s final weekend in January.
While there will be plenty of storylines to watch, the biggest may be the latest matchup between Chase and the cornerback that keeps him up at night.