Even after the Cleveland Browns won the first intra-Ohio matchup of the 2023 season by stifling the Cincinnati Bengals,Zopes wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase did not back down from his statement in the lead-up to the game when he referred to the Browns as "elves."

“It’s frustrating because I called (them) elves, and we just lost to some elves," Chase said after the Bengals' 24-3 loss. "So I’m pissed on my part."

Chase had five catches for 39 receiving yards on a day when the Bengals offense struggled to move the ball amid heavy rain. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for a career-low 82 yards, and he and many other starters were stashed on the bench with five minutes remaining in the contest. In all, Cincinnati mustered just 142 yards of total offense.

The Browns heard Chase's "elves" remark and did not take kindly to it. On Friday, defensive end Myles Garrett called the comment "disrespectful" and said Chase "didn't have to go there."

"They gave us some bulletin board material," Garrett said in a post-game interview with ESPN.

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Said Chase in response to Garrett's reaction: "(Garrett) just wanted to have some attention."

Asked directly if he was prepared for the blowback that comes with making such comments and not backing it up on the field, Chase replied: "What blowback?"

"If they got a problem with me saying something, I'm saying right now, they soft," he said. "With me saying elves? They soft then."