Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (ankle) said on Saturday that he has been playing through a left high-ankle sprain and will continue to do so if the Bengals make the playoffs. "I have no choice," Higgins said. The 25-year-old pass-catcher was forced to leave in the second half of Saturday night's win over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers with his ankle issue and never returned. The Bengals need both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose on Sunday to get into the postseason, but if it all comes to fruition, Higgins will try to continue playing through his injury. Higgins has 11 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 17 win over the Broncos but only had four catches for 53 yards on Saturday before leaving early. If the Bengals advance, Higgins could carry a questionable tag into wild-card weekend.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample caught all four of his targets for 14 yards on Saturday in his team's 19-17 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though the yardage total wasn't anything to write home about, the veteran tight end tied a season high in catches. More importantly, Cincinnati's offense did just enough to earn a fifth straight victory that kept its playoff hopes alive for another day. Whether Sample and the Bengals get a shot in the Wild Card round will come down to Week 18, when Cincy needs both Denver and Miami to lose.

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Cade York had a perfect night Saturday in Pittsburgh, converting all four field goal attempts and his lone extra point in a 19-17 victory that kept the Bengals' playoff hopes alive. After a brutal miss last week that forced the Bengals into a tense overtime against Denver, there was no such kicker drama in Week 18. The journeyman converted field goals from 48, 27, 35, and 23 yards, the last of which proved to be the game-winner as Cincinnati held on in the fourth quarter. Whether York gets the chance to kick in the postseason will come down to results elsewhere, as the Bengals need Denver and Miami to lose Sunday to make the AFC playoffs.