We Beat Detroit and the Depth Looked Legit

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Bengals 16, Lions 14. Jordan Battle intercepted Luke Altmyer on Detroit’s opening drive. Cashius Howell recovered a fumble in the second quarter. Joe Flacco found seventh-round rookie Jack Endries for a four-yard touchdown, and Evan McPherson drilled three field goals, 56, 33, and 41 yards, to account for 10 of the 16 points. Detroit cut it to two with 1:28 left, but Noah Thomas recovered the onside kick and Russ Yeast sealed it with an interception. Bengals win their first preseason opener since 2021. Zac Taylor afterward: “A lot of guys got a lot of opportunities today to really showcase their abilities. Some guys really rise and stand out in these preseason games.”

Burrow played 13 snaps over two series, completing five of six passes for 39 yards. His first completion was a 16-yard strike to Ja’Marr Chase on an under-center play-action. Three of his six dropbacks came from under center, two of them play-action. Chase Brown carried five times for 16 yards from the same looks.

Burrow was sacked once and took a hard shot from undrafted Lions rookie Eric O’Neill, who ran past Orlando Brown Jr. on a critical third down. He was pressured on 28.6 percent of his dropbacks, most of it out of under-center looks. Taylor said it plainly: “That’s not what we wanted to happen.” His best decision of the night was a two-yard checkdown to Drew Sample on third-and-2 when he had room to scramble but chose not to. Burrow: “Some good, some bad. Just like everywhere, we can get better.”

Also, Dohnte Meyers had three catches for 29 yards, a 13-yard jet sweep, and an 11-yard punt return. The week before camp, Burrow texted Meyers asking if he was in town. Meyers said he could be. Burrow asked if he could make it by 11 the next morning. What Burrow didn’t know: Meyers was in Atlanta, 460 miles away. He finished training, grabbed a nap, and drove through the night with his brother, arriving around 6 or 7 a.m. “That’s the kind of guy he is,” Burrow said.

Cashius Howell recovered the fumble that set up Endries’s touchdown, split a sack with Kris Jenkins using a spin move he said wasn’t planned, and drew a holding penalty on a pass-rush win by Landon Robinson in the same sequence. “That’s kind of what I’m able to do,” Howell said of the spin move. Jenkins finished with five tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss.

Jack Endries had two rough moments in practice earlier in the week, a Dugger punch-out fumble and a trip on the turf on a drop. Thursday he caught a four-yard touchdown from Flacco and turned a Josh Johnson screen into a 17-yard gain after making three Lions miss in space. Taylor on Endries: “For a rookie, there’s been nothing alarming on his end. He’s picked it up really fast. He’s been physical.” The Bengals have kept five tight ends the last two seasons.

Hill cleared his physical Saturday and returned to full practice, coming off the PUP list after a foot procedure kept him out since July 25. He started all 17 games in 2025, posted 66 tackles, four sacks, and a 68.6 PFF grade. Dexter Lawrence played three snaps Thursday and spent the rest of the night watching from the sideline. His assessment of the defensive line: “They held their own. They made some negative plays. Got pressure. Forced some bad throws. They have the motor.” Ted Karras, going into his 11th season, reviewed Lawrence this way: “Yes. I’m playing Dexter Lawrence, the best defensive lineman in football. I get him every day. I wouldn’t call it fun, but it’s a good test of mettle.”

Separately, undrafted cornerback Ceyair Wright left the team Saturday after being offered a lead role in a movie he couldn’t turn down, per Aaron Wilson. Filming runs through late October. Wright goes on the Exempt/Left Squad list and won’t count against the roster. Taylor: “I think two things he’s really passionate about were colliding, and he decided to pursue this opportunity.” To replace him, the Bengals signed Matthew McDoom, a rookie corner out of UC who spent the spring with Baltimore before being waived August 8. He totaled four interceptions and 26 pass deflections across four college seasons.

Joint practices with the Chicago Bears are scheduled for August 20, ahead of Preseason Week 2 at Paycor Stadium on Saturday, August 22, at 7 p.m.

🐯 Who Dey. See you next week.

Talking Football: Duke Tobin

Always look forward to talking football with this guy! Duke Tobin, Director of Player Personnel of the Cincinnati Bengals, joins us on Talking Football with Bengal Jim & Friends. Next Tuesday, August 18th, LIVE on FB, YouTube and X.

We’ll talk Bengals, roster building, the upcoming season and plenty more with the man helping shape this team.

Season 7, Episode 4. Subscribe here. You won’t want to miss this one!

Miami Tailgate

Bengal Jim & Friends Miami Tailgate tickets are NOW AVAILABLE and over 250 tickets have already been sold! This tailgate WILL sell out, so don’t wait! Get your tailgate tickets here.

We also have discounted game tickets available, with $30 savings off regular prices! Sit with fellow Bengals fans in our reserved Bengal Fan Ticket Blocks in Section 110 & 308.

Let’s turn Miami into Jungle South again this year! Grab your tailgate and game tickets before they’re gone.

Cincy Hats Collab

Over 120 hats sold already! Order yours here.

Because of all of you, Cincy Hats has ordered more hats to keep up with demand!

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.