The Cincinnati Bengals obliterated the Chicago Bears 27-9 in Week 2 of the preseason at Paycor Stadium. Now that we have two exhibition games to draw conclusions from in a macro sense, it's fair to make some snap judgments in the wake of the Bengals' stellar performance.
Whether it was the starting defense holding Caleb Williams and the Bears' starting offense to a field goal, or Josh Johnson slinging it all over the yard, Cincinnati was dominant. It looks like the slow starts of yesteryear could fade into obscurity. Not that there aren't things to iron out still, but my goodness, the vibes are impeccable right now.
As good as I'm feeling about this team, my judgy side is coming on strong for one of the Bengals' glaring weak links to kick this premise off.
Immediate takeaways from Bengals' impressive preseason triumph over Bears
1. Kris Jenkins Jr. does not belong on the 53-man roster. If you're a second-round pick, you're not supposed to be a rotational player of an afterthought. That's what Jenkins is at this point. It's unfortunate. And understand that I'm comparing him in the context of NFL players. I know fully well he could pulverize me with his bare hands. He's just not a good defensive tackle. Or at least not good enough to keep in a suddenly-deep rotation led by Dexter Lawrence.
2. Dohnte Meyers has done enough to make the team. Route-running. Speed. Yards after catch. Sure hands. Dynamic returning ability on kickoffs and punts. Yeah, give me Meyers on the 53-man roster. The Bengals could send pretty much any other wide receiver not named Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins packing and I think I'd be OK with it.
Check out Meyers' stat line from the first half of Saturday's contest, and tell me he doesn't deserve a real crack at a roster bid.
- 5 catches for 41 yards (6 targets)
- 1 carry, 9 yards
- 29-yard kickoff return; 9-yard punt return
3. Colbie Young needs some run in the red zone with the first-team offense. The way that Young exploded off the line, torched press coverage, and created separation with instant acceleration was a thing of beauty. Josh Johnson lofted a dime to the fourth-round rookie for his first NFL touchdown. Young looks more explosive and sure-handed than Andrei Iosivas already. I say throw him in on red zone trips. He's 6'5". It's not rocket science.
First TD for Colbie!#CHIvsCIN 7:00 PM on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/05jEXy4a3V
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 23, 2026
4. The Bengals' roster depth is very real (and far better than years past). To only surrender nine points to anyone suiting up for the Bears is no small feat. Chicago head coach Ben Johnson is one of the best offensive minds out there. Even in the preseason, he's not above exotic play designs or trick plays. That's how deep his bag is. It was great to see all the backup receivers step up, and awesome that the visitors didn't get in the end zone on Saturday night.
5. It's organizational malpractice against Joe Burrow to not acquire a new swing tackle. Jalen Rivers would be cut loose if he wasn't a fifth-round draft pick last year. He was awful at right guard, and can't even stay in front of backups as a left tackle. Meanwhile, Cody Ford, the "lesser of all evils" approach at swing tackle in recent years, played right guard as Rivers tried his hand, and was terrible in that spot, too. Hey Duke Tobin, not to say I told you so, but I told you so.
6. Swayze Bozeman should be firmly in the LB3 conversation. Hard to believe since Oren Burks started in the Super Bowl not terribly long ago. Shaka Heyward also balled out in Week 2 of the preseason. However, I'm rolling the dice on Bozeman in that role if I'm Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden. Bozeman just brings so much more athleticism and juice to the group. He continues to impress after making five total tackles. As usual, I was early on him.
7. Tahj Brooks still has more to prove in the preseason finale. Cool to see Tahj break loose for a 19-yard catch and a 10-yard run. He had a nice special teams tackle early on as well, albeit after a muffed punt. And even still, Brooks needs extended action in the preseason finale at Philadelphia this coming Friday. He shouldn't be some blind roster lock. The Bengals' backfield is one Chase Brown setback away from being in rather dire straits. Samaje Perine and Brooks as the next men up don't inspire a ton of confidence.
8. Money Mac is back-back. I didn't mention him in my winners-losers column, but Evan McPherson nailed a 58-yard field goal. It's almost like a pitcher who's having a perfect game and you don't want to say anything. The difference between McPherson's performance and others is that he's actually a starter. So SHH! Don't let the rest of the league know rookie-year Money Mac is back!
9. Joe Burrow's message of urgency is being heard loud and clear. Or at least the players in the locker room are taking it to heart. Whether that translates to a more proactive attempt to procure a proper swing tackle is another matter. It's just nice to see that the face of the franchise's more vocal, direct leadership style is obviously trickling down to the bottom of the roster. The standard of play has elevated from years past, at least in the preseason. While Zac Taylor deserves some credit, Burrow keeps speaking like a man who knows this year is Super Bowl or bust.
10. There's no question the Bengals should keep 3 QBs, including Josh Johnson. What a showing from the 40-year-old field general. Johnson will never see the field in the regular season if all goes according to plan, yet he proved with two TD passes and some nice mobility against the Bears that he can get the job done if his number is called. Plus, with all his football knowledge and status as a strong de facto assistant coach, Johnson would be such an asset to an already-brilliant, historic QB room starring Burrow and Joe Flacco.
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