Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins needed just one word to describe Cincinnati's 2024 campaign. The Bengals dropped to 4-8 on the season following their 44-38 Week 13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their playoffs hopes are basically dead as a result.
The majority of Bengals fans probably feel the same way as Higgins
Higgins had five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh, but his production wasn't enough.
"Frustrating," Higgins said about the way this season has gone via Sports Illustrated. "It's frustrating, but we gotta figure it out and try to turn this thing around for the last five games."
Higgins is right, as frustrating is the perfect word to describe Cincinnati's season. After all, this is a team that entered the campaign with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Now, they're set to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season. It's also a team that has benefitted from stellar quarterback play from Joe Burrow all season, but has completely squandered it.
It's frustrating for fans to watch an offense consistently score what should be enough to win, only for the defense to allow more points. To put things into perspective, the Bengals have four losses this season in games that they scored at least 33 points. All of the other teams in the NFL combined have one such loss.
The Bengals are 2-4 when scoring 33 or more this season 😬 pic.twitter.com/B0HtY8B1XO
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 1, 2024
This season is probably especially frustrating for Higgins knowing that it could very well be his last as a member of the Bengals. Higgins is headed for free agency over the offseason, and all signs point to the Bengals allowing him to walk, despite his extremely productive play over his first five seasons in the league.
The Bengals have a history of refusing to pay their own players what they're worth, and Higgins will likely be the next in line. The fact that Higgins had to miss five games this year due to injury issues didn't help. The star receiver probably wanted his final season in Cincinnati to go differently -- and better -- than it has.