It was easy to stress over the Cincinnati Bengals not getting the anticipated return of star wideout Ja’Marr Chase against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.

Turns out other Bengals were willing and able to do the heavy lifting while beating the Titans in Tennessee, 20-16.

Samaje Perine, for example, got the start in place of the injured Joe Mixon and ran for 58 yards and had 35 more as a receiver, plus a touchdown as a rusher. Backup Trayveon Williams had a clutch big-time run in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.

And at wideout, Trenton Irwin put on a show for the second week in a row, reeling in a wicked sideline catch on a crucial third down.

So how did Chase feel about all this while watching from the sidelines?

He tossed out four words on social media:

they held it down

— Ja’MarrChase (@Real10jayy__) November 27, 2022

Spoken like a guy about to get back from his absence and happy to see his team still has a fighting chance at a playoff spot and much more.

Based on the timeline and his practices last week, Chase should be back next week for the showdown with the Chiefs.