Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, then went back to the lanky receiver for the game-ending play. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards.
Cade York had a chance to win it for the Bengals with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Cincinnati (8-8).
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It was the Bengals’ first win this season against a team with a winning record. They need another victory in their final game at Pittsburgh and some help from other teams to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
The Broncos (9-7) would have secured an AFC wild card with a victory over the Bengals. They’ll have another opportunity to earn a postseason berth when they host Kansas City next weekend.
Burrow continued his stellar season, going 39-for-49 for 412 yards and three touchdowns, all to Higgins. Ja’Marr Chase finished with nine receptions for 102 yards.
Burrow has at least 250 yards passing and three touchdowns in eight straight games, extending his NFL record.
Burrow’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Cincinnati a 24-17 lead with 1:29 left in regulation. On the play before Burrow’s TD, Chase Brown hurt his right ankle on what appeared to be an awkward slide while going down in what looked like an effort to help the Bengals run out the remaining time.
Brown’s injury stopped the clock, and Nix threw a spectacular 25-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Marvin Mims Jr. for the tying score with 8 seconds left.
Nix was 24-for-31 for 219 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Mims finished with eight catches for 103 yards and two TDs.
Injuries
Broncos: CB Damarri Mathis left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.
Bengals: Right tackle Amarius Mims left late in the first half with a hand injury.
Up next
Broncos: Finish the regular season at home against the AFC West champions. The day and time for the game have yet to be announced.
Bengals: At Pittsburgh at a date and time still to be determined. The Bengals lost to the Steelers 44-38 on Dec. 1.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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