The Cincinnati Bengals are not going away without a fight.
Thanks to their 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, they keep their playoff hopes alive going into Week 18.
They did not make it easy on themselves, and it was almost certainly not the way they drew it up, but Tee Higgins‘ three-yard touchdown catch in overtime was enough to get the Bengals the must-win game.
Here is the play that won it.
That catch capped off a monster game for Higgins as he caught 11 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns.
Before this touchdown catch, he also made an incredible toe-tap catch down the sidelines to get the Bengals into position for the game-winning score.
The final two minutes of regulation and the overtime quarter were a complete roller coaster full of twists and turns,
The Bengals took the lead late in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes to play on a Joe Burrow quarterback sneak. The Broncos responded with a miracle Bo Nix-to-Marvin Mims touchdown catch with eight seconds to play. The Bengals had a chance to win the game earlier in overtime with a chip shot field goal, only to have Cade York doink it off the upright. Then, with Denver only needing to hold onto the ball for two minutes and settle for a tie, the Broncos had to punt the ball back to Cincinnati with two minutes to play and were unable to get a stop.
The Bengals still face long odds to make the playoffs, but they are still in it.
Along with winning their Week 18 game at the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati also needs Denver to lose its Week 18 game against the Kansas City Chiefs (who have nothing to play for in that game) while also needing both Miami and Indianapolis to each lose one of their two remaining games.
The odds are not in their favor. It is still possible. With the way Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins are playing, nobody in the AFC would want to see them get in.
