CINCINNATI — Cincinnati placekicker Evan McPherson booted a 29-yard field goal with 3:11 left to play in overtime, giving the Bengals a 27-24 victory over Minnesota on Saturday at Paycor Stadium.

The win puts the Bengals at 8-6, and keeps their playoff hopes alive heading into Pittsburgh this Saturday.

It was a big win — a big team win,” McPherson said. “The offense did a good job just getting us down there to set us up for a pretty simple field goal.”

The play was set up when quarterback Jake Browning connected with Tyler Boyd on a 44-yard reception deep in Vikings territory on third down.

“I was open, and they got pressure and I just tried to stay with him and stay in that open void where I knew (Browning) could find me,” Boyd said about his catch to put his team in position to win. “I watched to make the catch and get the first down. I was just a guy trying to make a play.”

The Bengals sent the game into overtime when Browning, who finished with 324 yards and completed 29 of 42 passes with two touchdowns and one interception, heaved a pass 21 yards that was brought down by Tee Higgins — who went up and got the ball and turned his body and extended the ball over the goal-line for the score towards the end of regulation.

Higgins finished the game with four catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

“I was hot, and they brought a Ponzi pressure,” Browning said. “I just had to drift it and give someone a chance with it. I always feel good just throwing the ball up to Tee. There were a couple of times this game where I just threw it up to him, and good things seemed to happen. We were really close on it a couple of times, and I’ll just continue to keep throwing the ball up to him when those opportunities present themselves because he’s very good at it.”

Higgins’ first touchdown catch was on a 13-yard pass from Browning — with 14:56 to play in the fourth quarter to cut into the Vikings’ (7-7) lead at 17-10.

Bengals running back Joe Mixon, who finished the game with 47 yards rushing and one TD, plowed into the end zone on a second effort from one-yard out — tying the game at 17-17 with 5:36 left in the final quarter.

The Vikings countered and scored and took a 24-17 lead with 3:58 to go in regulation.

That set the stage for the Higgins TD grab that sent the game into OT — and McPherson’s heroics to win the game.

“I just couldn’t be prouder of everybody involved in this whole thing,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “For anyone that represents the Bengals, this is a good day.”

The Bengals lost nose tackle and defensive anchor D.J. Reader for the rest of the season — after he tore his quad tendon early in the first quarter.

Wide receiver and playmaker Ja’Marr Chase left the game late in the game with a separated shoulder.

The Bengals will play at Pittsburgh on Saturday with playoff implications on the line.

Taylor added he feels confident in Browning under the helm — after he replaced Joe Burrow, who is out for the season after suffering a wrist injury against Baltimore.

“He doesn’t get rattled by a negative play,” Taylor said about Browning. “He doesn’t overreact to anything. The interception is just a great example. In his fourth-ever career start, he throws a pick. I think it was cover two and the cornerback just played games with him to try and bait him to throw it over the top. He came right back the next drive and throws a touchdown. That’s what you want to see from your quarterback — a guy who doesn’t get too high or too low. He’s able to move on, and that’s exactly what he did.”