‘It’s just uncanny’ – How the Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase formed their unstoppable connection

CINCINNATI — During one practice this season, something didn’t feel right between Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

A couple of passes missed the mark. So, the two stayed after for four or five extra throws. Chase instructed Burrow where to put the ball, and Burrow, the most accurate passer in the NFL this season, obliged. The next ball hit Chase right in the hands.

“That’s the throw,” Chase said. “That’s the one.”

The connection between Burrow and Chase, which goes back to their days at LSU, has been the backbone to Cincinnati’s run to Super Bowl LVI. The pairing has lifted the Bengals to their best season in 33 years. Years of work have formed one of the most unique quarterback-receiver partnerships in NFL history.

In two seasons at LSU and one in Cincinnati, Burrow and Chase have combined for 206 catches for 3,801 yards and 37 touchdowns. The combination has already led to one championship: LSU’s 2019 national title.

On Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams (6:30 p.m. ET, NBC), the two will have a chance to win another.

“Everything’s an opportunity,” Chase said after the Bengals secured their first Super Bowl appearance since 1989. “We keep having opportunities in front of us and we keep taking advantage of them. We have one more chance.”

THE BOND BETWEEN Chase and Burrow was forged in the Louisiana humidity with few people watching.

When LSU acquired the two players in 2018 — Chase as a true freshman, Burrow an Ohio State graduate transfer — the coaching staff knew it had two players willing to work on their craft.

That was evident during the summer of 2019. After a 2018 season filled with dropped passes, Burrow and his receivers threw…