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          Burrow hits Higgins with long TD to close gap with Chargers

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterNov 18, 2024, 04:06 AM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The Cincinnati Bengals used another fourth-down score to inject life into Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers and, in the process, their playoff outlook.

          On fourth-and-2, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow found wide receiver Tee Higgins streaking behind the defense for a 42-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-20 with 2:53 left in the third quarter.

          One possession earlier, the Bengals scored another touchdown on fourth down. That was a 4-yard pass to Ja'Marr Chase for the team's first points of the game.

          Earlier in the contest, Cincinnati was searching for answers. The Bengals trailed by 18 points at halftime, matching the third-largest deficit in coach Zac Taylor's six-year tenure.

          The surge was notable for the team's postseason hopes. Coming into the week, Cincinnati players acknowledged that a loss to the Chargers would all but squelch their chances of making the playoffs.

          Cincinnati's star pairing produced another big primetime moment. Chase wriggled open for a 17-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Joe Burrow in what has turned into a very improbable game. After trailing by 21 points early in the third quarter, Cincinnati has scored three straight touchdowns. With a win, according to ESPN Research, it would match the largest comeback in franchise history for the Bengals.