The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Chicago Bears on Aug. 22 at Paycor Stadium and now just one final preseason awaits before the regular-season opener on Sept. 13.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor opted not to play his starters after his team hosted a joint practice with the Bears on Aug. 20. Taylor used the joint practice as a mock game, getting a full look at the starting offense and defense against the Bears’ starters for two hours.
Bears coach Ben Johnson let his starting quarterback Caleb Williams play one series in the game. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft completed two of his five passes for 28 yards in his preseason debut this year.
It’s unlikely Bengals fans will see quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence play again before Week 1. The third preseason game in the NFL is mostly used for the players fighting for the final few roster spots ahead of final cuts on Aug. 30.
Cincinnati’s win over the Bears put a spotlight on several players who could end up playing key roles for the Bengals this season. Here are the biggest takeaways from the Bengals’ second exhibition game:
Offensive tackle depth is now the biggest concern for the Bengals
The most important player after the Bengals’ starting five offensive linemen is the swing tackle. This player is expected to be able to start in a pinch at right and left tackle if Amarius Mims or Orlando Brown Jr. get hurt.
For the last three seasons, veteran Cody Ford has filled this role for the Bengals. Ford has played in 50 of a possible 51 games for the Bengals with 10 starts (five at left tackle, two at left guard and one at right tackle).
He’s kept his roster spot due to his versatility, but his performance against the Bears and through training camp has been inconsistent and puts a major question mark around his dependability.
The Bengals could very well be in the market for a reserve tackle over the next few weeks when roster cuts begin around the NFL. It’s unlikely the Bengals will move on from Ford ahead of the season because of his experience in the offense, but this doesn’t mean if the pro personnel department finds a better option, he wouldn’t lose his spot.
Against the Bears, Ford started at right guard. The team is trying to make sure he gets snaps at tackle and guard to ensure he’s ready to fill in at either position. He left much to be desired on the field as he was responsible for four penalties in the first half and missed a key block allowing Chicago starting defensive tackle Gervon Dexter to find his way to Cincinnati quarterback Josh Johnson.
Behind Ford, the Bengals’ next option at tackle is second-year offensive lineman Jalen Rivers who also didn’t show well in the second preseason game. Rivers was also unable to keep Bears’ defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo from getting to Johnson on the same drive that Ford failed to make his block.
The Bengals drafted Rivers in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. He was thrust into a starting role in the early part of the Bengals’ season last year when Taylor was searching for better offensive line play. Rivers started seven games for the Bengals in his rookie season at right guard before losing his spot to veteran Dalton Risner.
When the team selected Rivers they praised his versatility saying he had the tools to play both tackle and guard. During training camp this year, Rivers played mostly guard but it was clear the coaching staff wanted to evaluate him at tackle against the Bears to see if he could be a viable option.
Neither Ford nor Rivers left a good impression on Saturday night.
Wide receiver Dohnte Meyers continues to make a strong case for a roster spot
Get used to hearing Dohnte Meyers’ name often over the next two weeks as the preseason ends. Meyers caught five of his six targets for 41 yards and contributed as a kick/punt returner logging 84 yards on four returns against the Bears.
Meyers, a former Canadian Football League (CFL) player for two seasons, signed with the Bengals in January. He’s quickly climbed the depth chart for the Bengals at the wide receiver spot – a position the team is loaded at.
He’s been so impressive that quarterback Joe Burrow praised him in a recent press conference.
“He’s had a great camp,” Burrow said on Aug. 15. “He’s quick, shifty, understands what we’re trying to do. He’s played a lot in the CFL. He comes over here and hasn’t played a lot in the NFL, but he’s got a lot of reps under his belt. He’s a guy that we’ve seen a lot out of.”
The final receiver spot will likely come down to Mitch Tinsley or Meyers. And Meyers continues to give himself a real shot at making the Bengals’ 53-man roster.
Rookie report: Landon Robinson, Colbie Young make noteworthy plays
Defensive tackle Landon Robinson found his way on to the stat sheet against Chicago.
Cincinnati’s seventh-round pick this year out of the Naval Academy recorded 1.5 sacks in his second preseason game with the club.
If he continues to make noteworthy plays like he did against the Bears, he’s going to make the team. Robinson making the Bengals’ active roster as a seventh-round pick this season, especially at a position where the team is stacked with talent would be one of the more interesting stories this year.
Rookie offensive linemen Connor Lew and Brian Parker showed well. Lew saw his first game action since tearing his ACL at Auburn in October of 2025. Parker has played a significant amount in each of Cincinnati’s preseason games and has showed flashes of promise on the interior of the offensive line.
The Bengals drafted Parker and Lew in hopes they could be significant contributors in the future and both players have made the most of their opportunities thus far.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What we learned from Bengals’ preseason win over Bears
Reporting by Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
