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