The Cincinnati Bengals needed every player, coach, and fan en route to victory in one of the best games of the season by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 27- 24 in overtime. The Bengals were buoyed by another stellar performance by Jake Browning who went 28-42 for 324 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The star of the game though, was wide receiver Tee Higgins who made the catch of the year in pushing the game to another act with a 21-yard touchdown reception with 0:39 left in regulation. This was Higgins’s second touchdown of the day, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for keeping Cincinnati’s playoff hopes alive. The Bengals All-Pro wideout Ja’Marr Chase left the game with an AC joint sprain, so the emergence of Higgins as the number one threat will need to continue for another week if Chase can’t go against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.
Tee Higgins Puts the Playoffs Within Reach for the Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Time
The Bengals have always viewed Higgins as one of the best receivers in the NFL and a player who can carry the team if needed. One of Higgins’s best qualities is his jump ball prowess and the ability to high-point the ball against defenders. This was evident in the play that extended the game and was the best catch of Higgins’s career.
TEE HIGGINS JUMP BALL AND THE REACH! WHAT A TD 😱
📺: #MINvsCIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/vtmfEKvOLy pic.twitter.com/sLb6U64XNq— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2023
The connection between Browning and Higgins seems to be heating up in critical moments for this Bengals team. What stands out about Browning is his willingness to let his receivers make plays. He’s not shy about throwing it up to a spot when he knows his guys have an advantage.
Jake Frost
With the Christmas and Holiday season upon us, Bengals fans have given Browning the nickname Jake Frost for how calm and icy cold he plays under pressure. He never seems to get rattled, much like his predecessor, Joe Burrow. This is an important quality for NFL quarterbacks to have and Zac Taylor took note by stating, “Jake’s just so steady, you know? He really is. He doesn’t get rattled by a negative play. He doesn’t overreact to it. The interception is just a great example. In his fourth-ever career start, he throws a pick — I think it was cover two and the cornerback just played games with him to try and bait him to throw it over the top — and the next play, he came right back the next drive and throws a touchdown. That’s what you want to see from your quarterback — a guy who doesn’t get too high or too low. He’s able to move on, and that’s exactly what he did.”
Math Class
The Bengals win puts them in a good spot to make the playoffs with three games left, but they still need help. Their poor conference record may end up biting in the end. They currently sit as the 6th seed, and the Baltimore Ravens winning on Sunday Night Football over the Jacksonville Jaguars helps them. The Jags now have the same record as the Houston Texans, whom the Bengals want to win the division as they hold the tiebreaker over Jacksonville. With the playoff push in full swing, the most important thing you can take care of is winning. That’s what the Bengals are currently focused on. This season has been full of so much uncertainty when Burrow went down. Since Browning took over, his confidence has grown as he’s trying to make the improbable, probable by getting Cincinnati in the playoffs.
Main Photo: Cara Owsley/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
