‘It’s About Time’ – Bengals WR Tee Higgins Cracks 100 Yards for First Time, Says More To Come

Of all the issues that plagued the Cincinnati Bengals through their slow start, the absence of Tee Higgins was the most puzzling.

Higgins has not only been one of the team’s most explosive weapons since arriving as the first pick of the second round in 2020, he’s been one of the most consistent.

But he’d been neither through the first seven games this season, one of which he missed due to a fractured rib.

Is Tee Higgins Back for the Cincinnati Bengals?

Higgins entered Sunday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills with just 216 receiving yards on 19 catches, easily the worst start of his four-year career. But he showed up under the lights, catching eight passes for a season-high 110 yards to help lead the Bengals to a fourth consecutive victory with a 24-18 triumph over the Bills.

“It’s about time,” Higgins said after the game.

Here are the numbers Higgins has produced through the first six games in each season of his career.

2020: 22 catches for 339 yards

2021: 29 catches for 353 yards

2022: 26 catches for 362 yards

2023: 19 catches for 218 yards

Quarterback Joe Burrow got Higgins going early against Buffalo, hitting him for an 18-yard gain on the opening touchdown drive and going to him for a 12-yard connect down to the 2-yard line on the second drive, with Higgins nearly scoring on the play.

“I got started off the scrambles,” he said. “Joe likes to make plays with his feet, so I seen him comin’ out the box, and it was my job to get open. He put the ball perfect, and I was able to make the play.

“I was due for one,” Higgins added of his big game. “I’m glad it came at the right time. I couldn’t have asked for a better moment to show up.”

Tee Higgins has been electric tonight ⚡️ #SundayNightFootball
pic.twitter.com/nymBQmDFPC

— NFL Highs (@frito_paw) November 6, 2023

Higgins’ fractured rib, which he suffered in Week 4 at Tennessee, continues to feel better, and Burrow said he sensed this sort of game coming.

“I told Tee coming into the game — he was feeling good — so I was going to feed him the ball today, and he came up big for us,” Burrow said. “He’s going to continue to do that. He always does. I have a lot of faith in that guy.”

That was evident when Burrow went to him in a big spot on 3rd-and 6 in the fourth quarter. Burrow and Higgins hooked up for an 18-yard gain on a slant route for a first down. That led to an Evan McPherson field goal that upped the Cincinnati lead to 24-10.

MORE: Cam Taylor-Britt Said the Bengals Had Josh Allen Frustrated

“I’m not surprised,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “He’s a victim of circumstances the way this season has gone with injuries. He stepped up big time, won a lot of one-on-ones, made big plans. That slant route he won that got us in the red zone before the field goal was big by Tee.”

The only other game this season in which Higgins looked like Higgins was way back in Week 2 when he caught eight passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 loss to the Ravens.

He said Sunday night’s performance feels like one both he and the offense as a whole can use as a booster heading into the second half of the season.

“There’s a lot more out there for us,” Higgins said. “I feel like we still haven’t got to our peak yet. We’ve just got to keep going, and I’m pretty sure we’ll reach it.

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