Bengals News: Tee Higgins Provides Massive Update on Injury, Status for Week 3
The Cincinnati Bengals are expecting to get a massive boost to their offensive attack this week when they take on the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. Star wide receiver Tee Higgins is planning to play in the game after missing the first two weeks of the season due to a hamstring injury. He has been practicing this week, the first sign that his return was likely imminent.
With Higgins back on the field, Cincinnati will feel much better about their chances of avoiding an 0-3 start to the season. The Bengals almost pulled the upset on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 but fell just short. Going up against Washington in a primetime spot, Higgins is ready to remind people just how crucial he is to this offensive unit. The Bengals have missed his presence in the lineup and the offense hasn’t looked the same. In Week 1 against the New England Patriots, the Bengals mustered only 10 points. They struggled to move the ball against a tough Patriots defense and the absence of Higgins was glaring.
Alongside co-star Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins gives the Bengals one of the best wide-receiving duos in the NFL. This gives quarterback Joe Burrow two explosive offensive weapons to use and helps make the Bengals’ attack so lethal. Injuries have plagued Higgins’s career but the former second-round pick is ready to get onto the field after his season start was delayed. Hamstring injuries can be tough to combat but Higgins said that he feels 100 percent entering this matchup with Washington. Higgins is set to become a free agent at the end of this season so it’s in his best interest to get onto the field and perform at the highest level. He is looking for a massive contract on the open market and has tried to work things out with the Bengals to stay long-term.
It remains to be seen if he will end up staying with Cincinnati but Higgins has proved his worth since being drafted. Last season, he was limited to 12 games but still put up solid numbers. He caught 42 passes for 656 yards and five scores, working with both Burrow and backup quarterback Jake Browning. If Higgins can make an impact in this game, Cincinnati should come away with their first win of the season.
The Commanders’ defense does not have an identity right now, and I am sure that Joe Whitt Jr. is working hard to identify the players who schematically fit what he wants to accomplish. Part of the problem that Whitt likely understands he is facing but will not accept from a coach’s perspective is that he lacks difference-making talent at the first and third levels of the defense. In the meantime, though, there are 15 games left in the season, and there is plenty of time for Whitt to place band-aids on the lack of pressure, run fits, and coverage breakdowns, among other issues.
In this Trap or Dive film session, I broke down where the Commanders’ defense struggled against the New York Giants and highlighted standout players, such as Benjamin St-Juste, who performed well despite an underwhelming overall performance from his defense.
