For Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Tee Higgins, it’s always the team before anything. His comments after the wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 23 targets in a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers are yet another instance of that. He told Bengals Beat writer Jay Morrison that he wants Chase to continue dominating big time as long as the team wins.

“I jokingly asked Tee Higgins if he goes up to Ja’Marr Chase after 23 targets and tells him to share a little bit,” Morrison wrote on X. “(Higgins’ response) Shit. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, I don’t give a damn.”

The Clemson product’s mindset matters just as much as his skills. He finished with six catches for 96 yards and a score to help the Bengals lead. He caught a 28-yard pass from Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco and slid down at the 7-yard line instead of trying to score, with 1:39 left in the game.

This allowed the Bengals to use up Pittsburgh’s timeouts and leave only seven seconds on the clock after kicker Evan McPherson made a 36-yard field goal, securing Cincinnati’s 33-31 win. Higgins later revealed that it was head coach Zac Taylor’s order from the beginning of the drive. “It was a directive,” Higgins shared. “If you’ve got a breakaway, just slide down at the 5.”

Flacco also connected with Higgins on a 29-yard quick slant, giving the Bengals their first lead since the opening quarter of Week 4. Be it Higgins or Chase, both stepped up to help the Bengals clinch a 33-31 win over the Steelers. The two are the best WR duos.

It wouldn’t have been possible without either. The star of the show from the game, Flacco, had massive praise for the two WRs.

“And if you don’t treat them a certain way, they can hurt you,” he said. “And if you do treat them a certain way, we’ve got some other guys who can get the job done. Today I got to see the problems they create.”

The veteran QB’s experienced eyes caught their talent as he joined the Bengals. Perhaps that’s why he was able to throw for 342 yards, three touchdowns despite being just 9 days in the franchise.

As for Chase, he saw a new light in the game while playing alongside Higgins and Flacco.

Bengals Ja’Marr Chase steals the spotlight in the game vs. the Steelers

Chase was phenomenal, hauling in 16 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown. And with this game, he also broke a few records while setting a new one.

Joining the Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Randy Moss, he is now the only three players in NFL history with over 6,000 receiving yards and 50-plus touchdown receptions in their first five seasons. But he’s not just matching legends, he’s setting new bars for himself, too.

In this game alone, he set a single-game franchise record with 16 catches. This was an unbelievable feat even for the WR who felt, “I thought it was something like nine.” It was way more than that.

No wonder, Flacco said, “Those guys are different.” “And it’s pretty cool to be able to throw to them.”

If the Bengal can keep up the same energy with Flacco, hopes for the playoffs might not be lost.