The Cincinnati Bengals are already facing a 1-3 hole in the NFL standings with one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Heading into Week 5, things might be on the verge of getting even worse for Cincinnati moving forward thanks to the Tee Higgins injury.
Things looked promising early on Sunday for the Bengals’ offense. On the game-opening drive, Cincinnati covered 72 yards and kicked a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. It was exactly the kind of fast start the coaching staff and Joe Burrow were hoping for in Week 4.
- Tee Higgins stats (career): 225 receptions, 3,138 receiving yards, 21 touchdowns
Related: Week 5 fantasy rankings
Cincinnati was shut out the rest of the game, managing just 139 total yards on their final eight drives. Three-and-outs became a recurring theme for the Bengals’ offense on Sunday, going 1-for-8 on third-down attempts outside of their opening drive.
Making things worse for Cincinnati, Higgins left Week 4 with a rib injury and the team ruled him out for the remainder of the game a short time later. While the Bengals are expected to make an official announcement later this week, the early prognosis isn’t promising.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Higgins suffered a rib fracture on Sunday. With a bye in Week 7, there is some belief that Cincinnati will keep Higgins off the field for the next few weeks before clearing him to return on Oct. 29.
How the Cincinnati Bengals will replace Tee Higgins
If Higgins is sidelined for any length of time, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd still step into the No. 2 role for this offense. He could be vital to Cincinnati considering what has happened to this offense in 2023.
Through the first four games of the season, the Bengals’ offensive line has struggled in pass protection. In its first four contests, Cincinnati allowed eight sacks and 19 QB hits. With Burrow’s calf injury severely limiting his movement in the pocket, the Bengals’ passing attack has been one of the worst in the NFL.
- Cincinnati Bengals offense stats 2023: 12.3 PPG (last in NFL), 4.0 yards per play (last in NFL), 182 gross passing yards per game (31st in NFL), 33.9% third-down conversion rate (25th)
Typically, Cincinnati would air it out more aggressively with a healthy Burrow. In 2022, 9 percent of Burrow’s pass attempts went 20-plus yards downfield and 22.1 percent of his attempts were in the intermedia areas (11-19 yards) last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Through four games, Burrow is averaging career lows in yards per attempt and deep-throw rate. He doesn’t have the ability to buy time with his legs and with the Bengals’ offensive line often struggling to hold up, attacking teams vertically isn’t an option.
Purely from a fantasy football perspective, this benefits Tyler Boyd. He primarily works underneath, ranking 97th in average target distance (4.7 yards) and has played the fourth-most slot snaps in the NFL this season. With Burrow needing to get rid of the football quickly, Boyd should be very involved moving forward.