Bengals Already Bracing for Major Absence vs. Chiefs in Week 2

While it seems obvious to anyone watching that the Chiefs are ready to manhandle a hated rival in the Bengals in Week 2, things are going from bad to worse for Cincinnati quickly.

WR Tee Higgins missed Cincinnati's embarrassing loss to the Patriots, and Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that it's likely he'll be absent against Kansas City as well.

Given the bad blood between these teams and Higgins' excellent ability, this represents a massive loss for the sputtering Bengals.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins Likely to Miss Week 2 vs. Chiefs

Hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky, potentially causing a lingering effect that reduces your ability to, well, play wide receiver. It's unclear how long Higgins could be out, though Schefter's reporting indicates he'll be out for at least one more week.

Entering only his fifth year in the league, Higgins has 3,684 receiving yards and is one of the NFL's marquee deep-threat targets.

Whether or not he plays, the Chiefs have an obvious advantage. Joe Burrow looked mediocre at best in Week 1, and the Bengals overall historically start laughably slow. They're 1-10 outright in the first two weeks under head coach Zac Taylor, with little to show for those mistakes.

Cincinnati deserves respect as one of the more threatening AFC teams at their peak. However, the Bengals haven't been at their peak since they beat the Chiefs to go to the Super Bowl. Kansas City took advantage of the lessons learned, yet Taylor's group continually sputters.

If Higgins can't play, the Chiefs might roll to another victory and make a tough schedule look easy.

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