Tee Higgins on Bengals vs Browns, Season Growth, His Goals and more

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

Transcript

00:00Is that something that you've been wanting to add a little bit of more juice after the catch?

00:05I've just been taking what they've been giving me, man.

00:08I mean, anytime I do catch the ball, I obviously want to have some rack,

00:13but definitely been an emphasis of my game.

00:15Does it feel like there's a chip on your shoulder to prove that that's a part of who you are?

00:20I mean, people probably think of you more as a – I'm not going to use the word finesse,

00:23but like athletic, all that stuff.

00:25Did you want to add that element a little bit more to your game and prove that completes you?

00:29I guess you could say that.

00:31I just want to get as much yards as possible to put the offense in a better position to score.

00:37Joe said that he sees a chip on your shoulder.

00:40He thinks there's a chip on your shoulder.

00:42Do you feel that way?

00:43It's a big year for me, so definitely playing with a little bit more extra – you know what I'm saying?

00:50And just trying to help my team get wins at the end of the day.

00:54How do you feel like the season's been going for you?

00:56How's it been going for you?

00:57It's been a couple weeks since we've gotten to catch up with you.

01:01Good, other than the losses.

01:04Obviously came off a big win last week, but other than the losses,

01:09I feel like I've been having success not only personally, but as an offense as a whole.

01:16It also feels like you're catching the ball further away from you in terms of going out and getting it.

01:21Has that been an emphasis?

01:23Am I seeing the right thing?

01:25Yeah.

01:26You know, you do that when you feel that DB behind you.

01:29They can get in and punch at the ball and knock it out, make it incomplete.

01:33So try to definitely try to keep the ball away from the defensive player.

01:37Is this the strongest you've been coming into a season in playing, do you think?

01:41I feel like I've been pretty strong.

01:44No, definitely hit the weights this past offseason and just trying to build strength

01:50and come in and play a little bit stronger this year.

01:53Has that translated to whether it's to Charlie's point at the catch point

01:57or to Paul's breaking tackles and extending play?

02:00I guess it could be both, honestly.

02:02Stronger with the hands, like you said, the catch point and then breaking tackles

02:06is just staying on my feet and just running through people.

02:11Is there an urgency to your game this year, T?

02:14Obviously you mentioned that it's a big year for you,

02:17but is there also that kind of feel of this might be it in Cincinnati

02:22and you want to make this year something special?

02:25Obviously I want to make it something special just because we want to win

02:30the big one as a whole.

02:32But, man, it's just if it is the last one, then obviously, yeah,

02:37I want to make it something special as well.

02:40What's so challenging about the secondary that the Browns,

02:43you know, Ja'Var said it's one of the best secondaries in the league?

02:45Yeah, they just, you know, they fundamentally sound and, you know,

02:49they play, they got good feet, and the guys are just,

02:52they be in the right places at the right time.

02:54Cleveland's been a place that's been difficult for you guys,

02:57not friendly for you guys.

02:58Can you put a finger on what's made that place for this team so difficult?

03:02Man, I'm still trying to put a finger on it.

03:04You know, I was thinking about it Monday.

03:07It's like, man, I haven't won there since I've been in the league,

03:10and it's just, I don't know, I can't figure out what it is.

03:15We just got to put it together and play complimentary football this weekend

03:18and hopefully come out with a W.

03:20What do you remember about that opener last year?

03:22What's that?

03:23What do you remember about that opener last year in Cleveland?

03:25Probably not one of your favorite memories.

03:27It was rainy, man.

03:29It was very rainy.

03:30Did not like that.

03:31Not a good day.

03:32What are your best catches in the Halloween catch?

03:34Does a highlight mean less when it's in a bad loss like that?

03:37Wait, that was the –

03:38Halloween, late in the fourth quarter,

03:40you had this crazy leaping toe tap in the end zone.

03:43Two years ago at Cleveland on Monday night.

03:46The game Cheeto got hurt.

03:49I think that was the only time I scored in Cleveland.

03:52My point is, does a highlight mean less to you when it's in a bad loss?

03:56Yeah, I don't give a damn about them.

03:58If we lose, it don't matter.

03:59It don't matter.

04:00So, hopefully we can make some more highlight plays, you know,

04:04and come out with a W.

04:05You know what I'm saying?

04:06Since you haven't won there, do you feel more pressure?

04:08Do you think the team feels more pressure going into this?

04:11No.

04:12We just got to go in and just be us at the end of the day

04:14and, you know, play contemplative football like I said earlier

04:17and just come out with a W.

04:20Joe was talking about your pop-up game

04:22and that it has improved since your rookie year.

04:24Can you define your pop-up game and maybe how it's gotten better?

04:28Yeah, taking those hits and getting back up.

04:31I've been taking a lot of hits, you know, this season.

04:34Just, man, just getting back up and helping my team,

04:37helping the offense get back, you know, in a better position to score

04:40and just keep it going.

04:42Was it harder to get up when you were a rookie in the second year?

04:48I mean, no.

04:49I was just getting up slow.

04:51You know what I'm saying?

04:54I was just getting up slow.

04:57So, I don't know.

04:58It feels like this has been a topic between you and Joe.

05:01Yeah, it has been.

05:04Jamal was talking about his attention to detail

05:05running literally every route in the playbook.

05:07How impressive is his ability to literally do everything?

05:10It's very impressive.

05:11He's that type of receiver.

05:13He's that type of playmaker to where he can do everything,

05:16whether it be a deep ball or a quick intermediate route

05:20or something, a double move, anything like that.

05:24He's just that type of player.

05:26I mean, he's one of the best receivers in the league for a reason.

05:29We all talk about a game like this

05:31and toughness is always a factor in the AFC North.

05:34Do you guys talk about that,

05:35going into a game like this on the road against Cleveland,

05:38the toughness factor?

05:39Oh, yeah.

05:40We know how tough it is playing in this division, especially away.

05:44So, it's going to be a dogfight and we're looking forward to it.

05:49Did you ever tell Joe in these conversations,

05:50you know not every throw has to be in traffic and over the middle

05:53and it seems like you've had a ton of those this year

05:56where there's just been contact that's been immediate.

05:58You give him a hard time about that a little bit?

06:01Hey.

06:02It's tough on the outside sometimes, right?

06:03Listen, I put it like this.

06:05Any way you can give me the ball, I'm all for it.

06:08You know what I'm saying?

06:09It ain't going to do nothing but help me in the long run.

06:11Why is it important for your pop-up game to be better?

06:14I mean, we're still on that.

06:21I guess it shows the guys that next play mentality, I guess,

06:25and just ready for the next play.

06:27Can you give me a breakdown of the discussion

06:32between you and Joe with the pop-up game?

06:34I'm going to leave that between us.

06:36You talk about getting stronger and absorbing these hits.

06:38Do you do anything?

06:39Can you do anything to increase your hand strength, your grip strength?

06:43Do you work on that at all?

06:44You can do – a lot of guys have different things that they do.

06:48You can go into the rice bucket and, you know, work your hands in there.

06:53You can do the gripper with the weights on there and things like that

06:56to increase your hand strength.

06:58Are you happy with where yours is?

07:00Yeah, I mean, I feel like I am.

07:02Obviously, there's always room for improvement.

07:04But right now, I mean, yeah, I think I'm pretty happy with my hand strength.

07:09Christian Watson, the Packers receiver, did an off-season medical study

07:14on his hamstring.

07:16Would you ever consider doing something like that?

07:18You know, I actually saw that too,

07:20and I thought that was pretty cool that he did that.

07:24I would consider doing something like that.

07:28I don't know what, you know, ligament or muscle I would do that for,

07:33but, you know, I would consider doing it.

07:35See, I feel like at times we've seen you kind of chuckling next to Jamar

07:38when he's at his locker saying things like elves or whatever it might be.

07:41He's not saying those things as much this year.

07:43He said he's leaving his trash talk on the field only.

07:45Do you still notice Jamar talking trash on the field?

07:47Because we haven't heard it as much from him.

07:49I mean, if you all can see it, then, you know, obviously I see it.

07:54He's been, you know, honestly, personally, if you ask me,

07:59I don't think he's been talking that much trash this year.

08:01He's just been leaving it on the field like he said through his play.

08:05And so that's been, you know, the big difference between.

08:09Has Jamar changed like persona-wise since you saw him arrive here?

08:14Like in that way?

08:16Change? No.

08:18He ain't got no reason to change.

08:20You know what I'm saying?

08:21He's been a great receiver since he's been in the league.

08:22Ain't no reason to change.

08:23What's the point?

08:24You know what I'm saying?

08:26Have you seen Yoshi start to establish himself as a real guy?

08:29Yeah.

08:30Yoshi, he's been really coming along and, you know,

08:33establishing himself, like you said, as a real guy.

08:35And, you know, he's learning his offense.

08:37I mean, he's not learning.

08:39He knows it now.

08:40And he can play any position, X, F, or Z.

08:42And, you know, that's good for him.

08:45That's good for himself.

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