Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has played the Bengals nine times in his career, which includes five seasons in Pittsburgh. He is more familiar with Cincinnati than perhaps anyone else on the Chiefs.
Smith-Schuster also said he’s not surprised at the Bengals talking the talk this week.
“I’m sure a lot of guys are aware of the comments that they’re making,” Smith-Schuster said, via Ed Easton of USA TODAY Sports. “I’ve been playing against this team since I’ve been in NFL, so it was nothing new to me. The Bengals, they’ve always been the rah-rah team, and you know, they back it up. They’ve been doing that this whole season. So it’s just more so for us, for me to go out there and just play, just play ball and have fun. And just talking with my shoulder pads and helmet.”
Smith-Schuster’s teams have gone 6-3 against the Bengals, and he has 39 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns. That includes three catches for 35 yards in a Dec. 4 loss at Cincinnati.
“I just think, honestly, they’re just a physical team,” Smith-Schuster said. “They just play physical from start to finish, all four quarters. That’s something I saw playing them in Cincinnati, and it felt like a playoff atmosphere game, and that’s kind of what I’m expecting to see here.”