CINCINNATI — For the second straight week, the Bengals looked every bit like a team ready for the regular season.
Playing without many of their established starters, Cincinnati received another impressive performance from its reserves Saturday night, defeating the Chicago Bears 27-9 at Paycor Stadium to improve to 2-0 in the preseason.
Chicago struck first after quarterback Caleb Williams led the Bears on an efficient opening drive that ended with a 45-yard field goal from Cairo Santos. Cincinnati answered immediately, marching 62 yards on a methodical 14-play drive before Evan McPherson tied the game with a 25-yard field goal.
From there, the Bengals began taking control.
Veteran quarterback Josh Johnson continued his strong preseason by completing 15 of 23 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. His first scoring strike came on a 17-yard pass to rookie receiver Colbie Young, who hauled in three receptions for 48 yards while recording his first touchdown in a Bengals uniform. Dohnte Meyers also strengthened his case for a roster spot with five catches for 42 yards as Cincinnati carried a 17-9 lead into halftime.
Sean Clifford took over after the break and kept the offense moving.
The second-year quarterback completed 12 of 18 passes for 126 yards, adding a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ke'Shawn Williams in the third quarter that effectively put the game out of reach. Although Clifford threw an interception later in the contest, he consistently pushed the ball downfield and continued an encouraging preseason of his own.
McPherson added the exclamation point midway through the fourth quarter.
The veteran kicker drilled a 58-yard field goal—his second successful kick from at least 58 yards this preseason—to extend Cincinnati's advantage to 27-9 and continue reminding everyone why he's regarded as one of the NFL's premier kickers.
Perhaps the most encouraging development, however, came on the other side of the ball.
Defensive coordinator Al Golden's unit held Chicago's starters without a touchdown, consistently pressured the quarterback and limited the Bears to three field goals despite Chicago playing many of its first-team offensive players early in the game. Through two preseason contests, Cincinnati's rebuilt defense continued to show the speed, discipline and physicality that had been emphasized throughout training camp.
While preseason results should always be taken with a grain of salt, the Bengals once again accomplished exactly what they needed to. Young players continued to develop, roster hopefuls made compelling cases to stick around, and Cincinnati left the field healthier than it entered.
That's about as productive a preseason night as a coaching staff can ask for.
What's Next: The Bengals wrap up the preseason Friday night when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles before opening the regular season Sept. 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium.