Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins form a sensational trio.
Marvel Comics has its superheroes. The Cincinnati Bengals have theirs.
It all started when Joe Burrow purchased a limited edition Batmobile from Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” film series. As soon as word got around, some members of the media labeled Burrow “Batman.” But not for long, because receiver Tee Higgins has come up with a new moniker.
Early in Sunday’s victory over the Browns, Burrow was scrambling out of the pocket when he got tripped up by one of his own linemen. As Burrow was falling to the ground, he managed to find Higgins open in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown pass that capped off a 98-yard drive and left everyone shaking their collective heads.
“The one he threw to me, not because it’s my touchdown. The motherf—– looked like Superman when he was throwing,” Higgins said when he was asked about the play. “So I’m calling him Superman from this day forward. F— Batman. Superman. Hell of a player.”
A few minutes later, Burrow avoided multiple Cleveland rushers to keep the play alive before dumping a no-look pass over his left shoulder to tight end Drew Sample for a 12-yard gain.
“The no-looker was crazy,” Higgins said. “I’m running down the field, I look back (makes a throwing motion over his shoulder without looking) . . . He’s a hell of a player, you never know. He surprises us every week.”
But if Burrow is Superman, who does that make Higgins and his battery-mate, Ja’Marr Chase?
Chase is the easy one. The defensive backs he goes up against week in and week out have taken care of that one.
“They usually just say, ‘You’re a strong son of a ‘B,’” Chase says. “I’ve heard that a couple of times this year.”
So let’s call him “Invincible,” an alien-human hybrid who possesses superhuman abilities. His potential for strength, speed, and durability surpasses that of regular humans, and he can continually enhance these attributes through self-discipline.
That just leaves Higgins himself. This was a little harder, but I finally settled on Iron Man. Intelligence is Tony Stark’s greatest strength, and it has no limits, just like his suits. In his Iron Man armor, Tony Stark possesses superhuman strength and superhuman speed, which allows him to outmaneuver agile opponents.
In his nearly five years in a Bengals’ uniform, Higgins has displayed all of those attributes (maybe without the superhuman part) and more. He has battled through injuries to a pair of 1,000-yard seasons, despite playing in the shadow of his more celebrated running mate. This year, despite missing seven games with injuries, Higgins has tallied 727 yards on 58 catches and has matched his career high with seven touchdowns.
Whether or not the Bengals make it to the playoffs this year, Burrow, Chase and Higgins have earned all the accolades and the nicknames we can come up with. Now it’s time to find them the sidekicks they deserve to help turn this whole team into a second coming of the X-Men.
Stay tuned.
