Zac Taylor’s injury update on Friday was a mixed bag for a Bengals team that’s already been knocked out of playoff contention but isn’t interested in mailing in the final three weeks.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) is officially questionable for Sunday’s road matchup against the Dolphins as he works back from his second concussion in a month. His status will likely come down to how he progresses through the final stages of the protocol.

There is some good news in the trenches as defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (knee) is expected to play and will be activated from injured reserve sometime this weekend, while B.J. Hill (ankle) is also set to go after battling his own ankle issue during the week.

The rest of the report is brutal.

Taylor has already ruled Kris Jenkins (ankle) out and confirmed the rookie will be placed on injured reserve, ending his season. He’ll be joined on the shelf Sunday by Joseph Ossai, Noah Fant, and Charlie Jones, all of whom are out with ankle injuries suffered in last week’s loss to Baltimore. That defeat didn’t just shred the roster, it officially eliminated Cincinnati from playoff contention.

That’s usually when the “tank” talk heats up, especially with a 4-10 record and a premium draft pick in reach. More losses mean better odds at impact talent in April. But inside the locker room, that conversation doesn’t exist.

“The Bengals want to win these final three games,” remains the message, regardless of what history says about late-season momentum carrying over to the next year. And Joe Burrow made it clear he still believes in the people running the show.

“Number one, I think we have great coaches,” Burrow said Wednesday.

“I think we’re consistently put in good positions to make plays and do our best. Obviously, there are good games and bad games, just like players have good games and bad games. But I have a lot of confidence in everybody that’s putting together the plans for us week in and week out.”

The Bengals have dropped two straight since Burrow’s return, but they’re 3-2 with him this season and 1-8 without him, a reminder of how different this team looks when No. 9 is under center.

Injuries are piling up, the playoffs are gone, and the draft implications are real. But on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in Miami, the Bengals will line up with whoever’s left and try to punch the Dolphins in the mouth. Tanking is for front offices. The guys on the field still plan to swing.