Bengals' Higgins concussed after hard fall to turf

CINCINNATI -- Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is in concussion protocol following Sunday's 26-20 loss to the New England Patriots.

Higgins was carted off the field with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter. He was on the turf at Paycor Stadium for several minutes after hitting the ground following an attempt to catch a deep ball down the right sideline. After a few minutes, Higgins was rolled onto his back before he finally sat up. Eventually, he slowly walked to the medical cart and was taken to the locker room.

With All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase suspended for the game because of a spitting incident the previous week, Cincinnati was without its top two passing targets as it tried to mount a late rally that fell a few plays short.

"I feel like we did a good job fighting and trying to take advantage of our opportunities out there," Bengals receiver Mitch Tinsley said. "Some guys went down, and some guys stepped up. And I think we just tried to fight to the end."

Tinsley finished with two catches for 29 yards. But one of those receptions was a 17-yard touchdown catch with 4:40 left, cutting the Patriots' lead to 23-20. After New England stretched its lead with a field goal on the ensuing drive, Cincinnati's comeback drive stalled out on the Patriots' 26-yard line.

Higgins finished the game with five catches for 31 yards. With Chase out, Higgins was the top option for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who finished the game despite suffering a dislocated index finger in the fourth quarter.

Flacco sought to find Higgins as much as possible. One of those plays resulted in a crucial turnover in the first half. The veteran quarterback looked to get Higgins the ball but opted for a checkdown pass to running back Chase Brown. By that point, Patriots defensive back Marcus Jones was able to jump in front of the pass, intercept the ball and return it for a 33-yard touchdown. The sequence helped New England erase an early 10-0 deficit and take a lead the Patriots (10-2) maintained the rest of the game.

Flacco was 19-of-37 passing for 183 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The 40-year-old said the sprained right shoulder he has nursed for the previous three games wasn't an issue.

But the offense couldn't muster the needed rhythm to score enough in what could be Flacco's last start with the club.

Joe Burrow, the franchise cornerstone and two-time Pro Bowler, has been out since he suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2. Burrow took significant practice reps throughout the week. Bengals coach Zac Taylor ultimately decided to give Burrow a couple of extra days of rest, especially with the team's next game coming in four days against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bengals (3-8) won just one of Flacco's six starts. During that stretch, however, he completed 61.6% of his passes for 1,636 yards, 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.

Taylor did not reveal his plans for who will start against the Ravens. Given the uncertainty of the upcoming days, Flacco was reflective about the most recent stop in his 18-year career.

"I feel really fortunate to have kind of found myself in this situation," Flacco said. "As much as I would've loved to see us win games, I still have had a lot of fun here with these guys in the locker room. Going out, lacing them up with these guys has been a lot of fun. I've felt right at home and have had a blast doing it."

But that feeling can be contrasted with how Cincinnati feels about its season. All that's left for the Bengals is to be mathematically eliminated from making the postseason. That will mark a third straight year without a playoff appearance after deep runs in 2021 and 2022.

After the game, Taylor talked of building momentum to find a victory after the team's fourth straight defeat and eighth loss in nine games.

"[We] just have to find a way to win so we can remember what that feels like," Taylor said.