The Cincinnati Bengals made a statement on Thanksgiving. The Ravens entered the game on a five-game winning streak, but the Bengals didn’t care and dismantled Baltimore. Joe Burrow returned from a nine-game absence, during which Cincinnati lost eight of those, and looked like he didn’t miss a beat. They did it shorthanded without one of their star receivers, Tee Higgins.
What Is Tee Higgins’ Injury Status?
Higgins suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of Cincinnati’s Week 12 game against the New England Patriots. With the short week, he couldn’t clear concussion protocol in time. Even if the game was played on Sunday, Higgins might not have been available anyway. Now, the Bengals don’t play until December 7.
Higgins will be a beneficiary of the long break, as it gives him more time to rest and clear the concussion protocol. Concussions are not to be messed with, and the NFL takes the protocol seriously. If Higgins isn’t ready, he won’t be out there in Week 14. But there’s plenty of time for him to get right if the concussion wasn’t overly severe.
If all goes well, he should be on the field for a huge clash against the Bills. Higgins didn’t get off to the greatest start to the season, but he had started to get into a groove before his injury. He is the 33rd-ranked wide receiver in PFSN’s WR Impact score with a grade of 76.6. He’s got seven touchdowns on the year and has been a threat to put points on the board all season.
Higgins got a big extension in the offseason. The Bengals paid a hefty price to make sure Higgins stayed for the long haul opposite Ja’Marr Chase to form one of the league’s most talented receiver tandems. They are matchup nightmares for defenses and can cause defensive coordinators to lose sleep over defending them.
The Bengals have new life with Burrow back. Although it’s unlikely, the Bengals can start to see the light of a potential scenario where they can pull off a heist of the AFC North and sneak into the playoffs. If the Bills beat the Steelers, the Bengals will only be two games behind the division lead with five games to go and a relatively favorable end-of-season schedule.
Cincinnati found themselves in a similar situation in 2024 and finished on a hot streak to fall just short of the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. The Bengals could be heading for the same fate if they win out.
Cincinnati fans can start sipping the Kool-Aid because a playoff run that seemed far-fetched after losing to the Jets is now very much in play with a few big wins.