Backups Won and Burrow Means Business.

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Josh Johnson, 40 years old, went 15-of-23 for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against Chicago's starting defense. He converted third-and-14 and third-and-10 on the opening drive, kept a third-and-2 alive with his legs on a read option, and finished the half with 17 points on the board. Sean Clifford took over in the second half and posted a 150.8 passer rating in the third quarter alone before throwing a late interception. Evan McPherson was 2-for-2, including a 58-yarder. Zac Taylor's postgame summary on the quarterbacks: "They were really decisive, made really good decisions, were really good at the operation."

Dohnte Meyers had five catches for 41 yards, a jet sweep carry for nine yards, and 84 yards on four returns, lining up all over the formation with Chase and Higgins sitting.

Colbie Young caught his first NFL touchdown, beating his man down the right sideline late in the second quarter on a 17-yard strike from Johnson. Young finished with three catches for 48 yards, the most receiving yards on the team Saturday night.

After Thursday's joint practice, Burrow was asked if he's treating 2026 as a now-or-never season. "That's how I'm treating it, for sure." He went further: "I'm tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it. Life is too short to keep pushing things down the road." He said the urgency in the locker room is palpable, that veterans have stood up in team meetings and said it, and that he's been pushing it individually with every player around him. Karras summarized it: "He's been on our ass. In a good way."

In a separate ESPN feature, Burrow pushed it further: "I've tried to instill an urgency in the room, a palpable pressure, because we have guys playing and coaching for their jobs this year, and that's how I'm looking at it. I'm playing for my job this year."

Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo grabbed Burrow's jersey after an interception during Thursday's practice and wouldn't let go. Burrow went after him. The offensive line converged. Burrow's postgame assessment: "Shit happens. That's how practice goes sometimes." He acknowledged it was the first scuffle he'd been in since college, then added, "Fun to go at it a little bit." Chase had the best reaction: "I don't care what we do, we just better f***ing protect Joe."

Lawrence recorded a sack, tipped a Caleb Williams pass at the line of scrimmage, and then intercepted it himself during Thursday's joint practice. Williams afterward: "He's an All-Pro guy, one of the best, if not the best D-tackles, up there with Chris Jones. He's a force to be reckoned with." Ted Karras, who goes against Lawrence every day in camp, was thrilled it was someone else's problem for once. "It was f***ing great," Karras said. "It validated a lot of my insecurities."

Murphy, playing without a fifth-year option and on a one-year audition, sacked Williams on back-to-back plays on Chicago's final possession of Thursday's practice, finishing the day with at least three sacks. Boye Mafe gave him a standing ovation at his locker during postgame interviews. Murphy said it plainly: "As a defense, that's exactly what we're looking for, to close out games." The Bengals lost five games last year by six points or fewer.

Landon Robinson, the seventh-round defensive tackle from Navy, took down the quarterback for a 12-yard loss on third down Saturday, then added a half-sack with Isaiah Foskey in the fourth quarter. He had a half-sack against Detroit last week and is moonlighting in short-yardage fullback packages.

PFF had this defensive line 30th in January. They've got it 8th now. Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Mafe, Murphy, B.J. Hill healthy, Shemar Stewart when he's back, and both Howell and Robinson making noise in their first two preseason games. Dylan Fairchild made sure to mention that Allen isn't getting enough attention: "He's been a challenge for me personally. He's been pushing me every single day to get better."

With Dax Hill nursing a hamstring and depth behind the starting corners thin, Cincinnati has reportedly contacted the Packers about corner Carrington Valentine. Pittsburgh and Miami are also in the mix. Valentine grew up in Cincinnati, went to Archbishop Moeller, and has started 30 NFL games with 18 PBUs and two interceptions. Sources describe a deal as still unlikely, but the Bengals are making calls.

Bengals at Eagles (preseason finale): Friday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m. ET

Regular season opener vs. Tampa Bay: Sunday, Sept. 13, Paycor Stadium

🐯 See you next week.

The opener is three weeks out. Let us know if we will see you at Paycor this season, and whether you are coming from around the corner or driving in from out of town.

Ickey Woods Bourbon

This one is pretty special. Bengals legend Ickey Woods was personally involved in the blending and creation of this bottle alongside Bengal Jim & Friends.

Even better, $20 from EVERY bottle sold goes directly to the Jovante Woods Foundation.

🔥 ONLY 150 BOTTLES (pre order to make sure you get one)
🔥 Every bottle individually numbered
🔥 Ickey himself will be there autographing these bottles for you!

📍 Pick up your bottle at the Bengals preseason game Watch Party, August 28 at Wenzel Distillery in Covington, or pick up at Wenzel at a later date. Game kicks off at 8:00 PM, so come down early and make a night of it!

🟠 You’ll also be able to dip your bottle on Friday!

Great bourbon. A Bengals legend. An even better cause. Pre-order here.

On the Podcast

The best part of ESPN's NFL coverage is right here in The Queen City! @Ben_Baby joins us LIVE Tuesday night at 8PM!

Always a fun conversation, and we've got plenty to talk about. Join us LIVE and bring your questions! Subscribe and watch here.

2026 Road Tailgates

Two HUGE road parties are coming this season!

🌴 MIAMI, Bengals vs. Dolphins. 400+ already locked in, this WILL sell out! Join hundreds of Bengals fans and turn Miami into Jungle South! Tailgate tickets and Bengals fan ticket blocks (Sections 110 & 308).

🔥 CHARLOTTE, December 20 vs. Panthers. Over 1,500 Bengals fans joined us in Charlotte in 2024. We're coming back to do it AGAIN! Tailgate tickets here.

Two cities. Two HUGE tailgates. One Who Dey Nation. 🐯

Cincy Hat Collab

YOU ARE INCREDIBLE! Initial allotment, SOLD OUT! When they saw the initial orders the first few days they knew they would sell out and ordered another BIG batch to keep up with demand. Order yours here.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has grabbed one, shared the post, tagged a friend, or helped spread the word. Every hat sold helps support The Cincy Hat by Ted Karras!

We will see you rocking them all season long at the Tailgate, inside Paycor Stadium, and everywhere Who Dey Nation calls home.

You all are the best.