Cincinnati Bengals fans had been waiting to see wide receiver Tee Higgins back on the field, and he made it worth the wait. Returning in Week 16, he showed he was back in form with a healthy, productive outing in the 45-21 win versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Higgins played and finished the game without any setbacks, easing concerns surrounding his availability moving forward.
“I see everything everybody’s saying, I see all that, trust me,” the 26-year-old said after the win. “But I went to see a specialist and the specialist said that it was okay for me to go back out there and play my game, and that’s what I did.”
Higgins had been in concussion protocol three times since Nov. 16. He missed the Thanksgiving 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens, returned in Week 14’s 39-34 loss against the Buffalo Bills, then re-entered the protocol after another head injury and sat out Cincinnati’s last week shutout 24-0 loss to Baltimore. Cleared from protocol on Saturday, Higgins took extra steps before returning, including a visit to renowned concussion specialist Dr. Micky Collins in Pittsburgh on Dec. 18. The Bengals also fitted him with a new helmet and additional padding as part of their cautious approach.
Against Miami, Higgins caught three receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown. His score was his 10th receiving touchdown of the season and came on a nine-yard fade to end a 91-yard opening drive. He also caught a 35-yard pass in the first quarter that helped quarterback Joe Burrow surpass 20,000 career passing yards, making Burrow the fifth-fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach that milestone.
Despite limited practice reps and missed games, Higgins showed no visible rust. In 13 games this season, he has recorded 49 catches for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns, putting him within range of a third career 1,000-yard season if he closes strong over the final two weeks.
Cincinnati’s offense owned the game against the Dolphins. Burrow completed 25-of-32 for 309 yards and four touchdown passes, and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase caught nine passes for 109 yards, surpassing 500 career receptions and becoming the only receiver with at least 500 catches, 6,500 yards, and 50 touchdowns in his first five seasons. Running back Chase Brown scored three total touchdowns and took in 109 yards from scrimmage.
The Bengals scored 28 unanswered points to open the second half and converted Miami turnovers into touchdowns, turning a 14-10 deficit late in the second quarter into a runaway victory. Cincinnati gathered 407 yards on offense and reached the most points of Zac Taylor’s coaching career.
While the Bengals improved to 5-10 with the win, they will once again miss the playoffs, having failed to win games when they needed to the most. They’ll finish the season with matchups against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 and the Cleveland Browns in Week 18.
