Higgins’ savvy goal-line play, McPherson’s field goal in OT help Bengals beat Vikings 27-24

By MITCH STACY
AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — 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 under a minute remaining in the game and pulled off an acrobatic move to stretch the ball over the goal line and tie the game at 24.

In overtime, a 4-yard run from Joe Mixon made it an easy chip shot for McPherson with 3:11 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 12 different 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.

INJURIES

Bengals: DT 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.

UP NEXT

Vikings: Host the Lions on Sunday, Dec. 24.

Bengals: At Pittsburgh next Saturday.

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