Bengals HC Zac Taylor provides promising injury updates for both Orlando Brown Jr. and Tee Higgins
The Cincinnati Bengals started Sunday's loss without wide receiver Tee Higgins, and they finished the game with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. with him on the sidelines. Higgins suffered a quad injury during Friday's practice and Brown re-injured the same knee that was sprained back in Week 7. Fortunately, both players have a chance to […]
The Cincinnati Bengals started Sunday's loss without wide receiver Tee Higgins, and they finished the game with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. with him on the sidelines. Higgins suffered a quad injury during Friday's practice and Brown re-injured the same knee that was sprained back in Week 7.
Fortunately, both players have a chance to practice this week. Head coach Zac Taylor described both players as "day-to-day" during his Monday presser.
Brown was limited for two practices last week before going full on Friday when Higgins' injury occurred. The former wasn't likely 100% but still tried to play anyways. He was hit in the same knee 29 snaps into the game before exiting and not returning.
As expected, Brown was replaced by backup swing tackle Cody Ford for the remainder of the game. Taylor said last week that Ford will fill in that position and rookie Amarius Mims would stay at right tackle if Brown were to miss time. Ford's role as the sixth offensive lineman was then assumed by backup center Matt Lee, who came in for one play.
Brown was still able to suit up in the first place after suffering the initial injury, so it stands to reason he could play next Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders with the same amount of rest and practice.
Taylor said after the game that they waited up until the last minute to decide on if Higgins would play, and the fifth-year receiver ended up missing his third game of the season. Filling in for Higgins ended up being a combination of Jermaine Burton and Trenton Irwin, and tight end Mike Gesicki was more heavily involved in the passing game as well.
Higgins missed the first two games of the season thanks to a hamstring injury he suffered three days before Week 1. He could miss the same amount of time with his quad injury, but a "day-to-day" label means that playing this week is not out of the question.
Cincinnati now sits with a 27% chance of making the playoffs and would have to win almost every game to make the postseason. Brown and Higgins' health are vital towards that happening.
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