CINCINNATI — Tee Higgins made a savvy goal-line move to score a touchdown and force overtime, and Evan McPherson made a 29-yard field goal to seal a 27-24 victory Saturday for Cincinnati over the Minnesota Vikings, keeping the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive without their star quarterback.
Higgins caught a 21-yard pass from Jake Browning with less than a minute remaining in the game and pulled off an acrobatic move to stretch the ball over the goal line and tie the score 24-24.
In overtime, a 4-yard run from Joe Mixon made it an easy chip shot for McPherson with 3 minutes, 11 seconds remaining.
The Bengals (8-6) had taken over at their 41-yard line after stopping the Vikings (7-7) on fourth-and-short.
Cincinnati erased a 17-3 Minnesota lead with its two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Browning was 29 for 42 for 324 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He completed passes to 11 receivers.
Mullens, the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for the Vikings, passed for 303 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Backup running back Ty Chandler had a career-high 132 rushing yards and a touchdown for Minnesota.
Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader suffered an injury to his right leg early in the game and was declared out. CB DJ Ivey left in the first quarter with a knee injury and was declared out. WR Ja’Marr Chase went out with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
The Bengals visit the Pittsburgh Steelers next Saturday.
