The Cincinnati Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive by the skin of their teeth on Saturday with a dramatic 30–24 overtime win over the Denver Broncos.

When Cincinnati needed a hero, it was wide receiver Tee Higgins who stepped up and answered the call.

Higgins scored the first two touchdowns of the day for the Bengals, including a beauty of a catch in the fourth quarter to give Cincinnati a 17–10 lead.

For a while, it looked like that might be enough heroics for Higgins, but after some questionable clock management from the Bengals and an incredible play from Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims, the game was sent to overtime.

In the extra period, Higgins pulled two more tricks out of his bag, first making an incredible catch on the sideline to put the Bengals on the verge of a game-winning score....

...and then putting the game away with his third touchdown of the night.

Higgins's final stat line: 11 receptions for 131 yards and three touchdowns.

His big day was especially important given the defense of Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who was able to contain some other Bengals stars when lined up against them.

While Chase still finished with an impressive stat line of his own (primarily on plays he wasn’t covered by Surtain), it was Higgins who was able to find paydirt when the Bengals needed him most.

As Higgins carried his team to victory, fans noted that his next contract likely just got a whole lot bigger. With Higgins currently playing on the franchise tag and set to hit free agency next season, the numbers could get wild.

The Bengals need one more win next week against the Steelers, and some help from elsewhere in the AFC if they’re going to make the playoffs, but their win, and Higgins’s heroic effort, kept them fighting for at least another week.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tee Higgins Put the Bengals on His Back to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive.

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