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Ben Child, ESPN Scribbler Team
CINCINNATI — The Bengals could be without two key offensive starters for a game that could be the most important to their playoff hopes.
Big receiver Tee Higgins and Orlando left receiver Brown Jr. will be listed as unsafe for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, mentor Zac Taylor said at Friday’s practice closer. Neither Higgins nor Brown practiced how to deal with accidents at all times. Higgins has been out since injuring his quad last Friday and missed the Day 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown re-aggravated a knee injury that kept him out of the Day 7 win over the Browns.
If Brown can’t start, it will be only the second game in his seven-year career that he will sit out. As a member of Kansas Town, the four-time Pro Bowler did not face the Bengals on Day 17 of the 2021 season.
With Higgins no longer able to advance, rookie Jermaine Burton could continue to see his workload increase. Alabama’s third-round pick had a season-high 24 snaps against the Eagles.
Taylor mentioned that Burton has traveled in recent weeks and is among those who could fill the void if Higgins is unable to play.
“I think Jermaine has progressed to the point where each week we have more confidence with him in the scheme and he feels more comfortable with the quarterback,” Taylor advised reporters.
On Thursday, Burton was desperate to take advantage of any accumulation of plays closer to his minimum usage through the first seven games of the season.
“I feel like I’ve been the same,” Burton said. “I’ve just been waiting [for] My turn, my chance. “I just told myself that any opportunity I get, I don’t care when it is, just make the best of it.”
If Higgins is unable to play against the Raiders (2-6), it will be the fourth game he has missed of Cincinnati’s nine games this season. He also missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury.
Higgins is playing this season on the one-year franchise tag and will become a separate agent at the end of this season. Earlier in the day, Taylor indicated the team was likely moving to be on its feet before Tuesday’s industry deadline.
“The team we have is the team we are going to continue training and we believe in these guys,” Taylor mentioned.
