Bengals Beat: ‘Another Step Toward A Long Season’ Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen Make An Appearance But It’s Reserves Who Made Biggest Showing

CINCINNATI — We have only two more exhibitions to get a feel for the depth the Bengals have on both sides of the ball going into a 2026 season with sky-high expectations.

The Bengals 16-14 win was their first preseason opening win since 2021. While the final score of an August exhibition means very little, the underlying reps provided crucial evaluation material for head coach Zac Taylor and his staff.

The contest gave fans a brief look at returning star quarterback Joe Burrow, fresh acquisitions like defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, and a host of rookies fighting for roster spots. Reflecting on the night, Taylor stated, “The number one focus I think we walk away from is we got the win. I think a lot of guys got a lot of opportunity today to really showcase their abilities.”

The Winners
DT Kris Jenkins Jr. and Landon Robinson
Rookie Landon Robinson and third-year defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. are two players fighting fiercely for roster spots at the back-end of the defensive tackle room. Jenkins was arguably the most dominant defender on the field for Cincinnati. Tasked with showing noticeable development in a crowded and upgraded defensive line room, Jenkins feasted against Detroit’s backup interior offensive line. He finished his night with five tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit, and a tackle for loss. With the Bengals heavily investing in defensive line depth over the offseason, standout performances in August are a necessity to lock down significant regular-season reps. Jenkins looked explosive off the snap and played with a motor that consistently disrupted the Lions’ backfield tempo. Robinson showed his tremendous leverage, strength and burst in taking on blocks, shedding them and getting to quarterback Luke Altmyer.

Safety Jordan Battle & the Opportunistic Secondary
Cincinnati’s defensive coaching staff spent the entire spring and summer emphasizing the need to create more turnovers. Safety Jordan Battle put those directives into immediate action during the first series of the game. When a pass from Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer deflected off the hands of wideout Isaac TeSlaa, Battle tracked it perfectly to secure an early interception.Later in the half, rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell recovered a fumble to secure a second early takeaway, helping the team build an early cushion. When the Lions threatened a late-game comeback, safety Russ Yeast slammed the door shut with a game-clinching interception with 25 seconds remaining. Bryan Cook, Dax Hill, Jalen Davis and Bobo Davis all did not dress for the game.

TE Jack Endries & WR Dohnte Meyers
Evaluating the passing game targets beyond the lock-in starters is always a primary focus of early preseason games. Rookie tight end Jack Endries made a powerful opening statement for a final roster spot. In the second quarter, veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco targeted Endries for a four-yard touchdown reception, extending the Bengals’ lead to 10-0. Endries wrapped up his night tied for the team lead with three receptions for 25 yards. Matching him step-for-step was rookie wide receiver Dohnte Meyers, who consistently found soft spots in the Lions’ secondary. Meyers hauled in three catches for 29 yards and added an element of versatility with a 13-yard rushing attempt. His performance against Detroit’s secondary solidified the rising camp narrative that he is rapidly becoming a lock for the final 53-man roster.

K Evan McPherson
Special teams stability is a luxury, and Evan McPherson proved yet again why he is one of the most reliable assets in the organization. Under rainy and slick conditions at Paycor Stadium, McPherson was flawless. He accounting for most of Cincinnati’s offensive points by converting all three of his field goal attempts, highlighted by a booming 56-yard field goal in the first half.

The Losers
Offensive Operation Under Center
The Bengals spent a substantial portion of training camp practicing plays directly from under center rather than relying purely on the shotgun formation. Zac Taylor translated this directly to the game plan, callings seven of Joe Burrow’s 13 snaps from under center. However, the results proved that the system remains heavily a work in progress. The primary unit struggled to build a consistent rhythm, and the passing game sputtered, generating minimal vertical push outside of a lone chunk play to Ja’Marr Chase. The offense struggled to adjust to basic stunts, showing that timing and execution require far more refinement before the regular-season opener.

Pass Protection (Orlando Brown Jr. & the Starting Line)
While it is normal for offensive lines to take time to gel, the starting front did no favors for Joe Burrow during his brief two-series stint. On the opening drive, Detroit’s edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein easily beat his block on a second-down snap to sack Burrow, completely derailing the momentum of the drive.The second drive fared little better in terms of protection. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. suffered a particularly rough rep that allowed heavy edge pressure, culminating in Burrow taking a massive hit right as he released an incomplete third-down pass. Seeing your franchise quarterback hit repeatedly in a meaningless August game is exactly what coaches try to avoid.

Burrow himself was realistic about the growing pains after the game: “We’re working to get better in all facets, that certainly being one of them and adding that to our system and see where it can take us. [There has been] some good, some bad… I can get better in those situations,” Burrow said.

RB Kendall Milton
With depth roles behind Chase Brown still very much up for grabs, the margin for error for lower-roster running backs is razor-thin. Kendall Milton entered the night battling fiercely for the fourth running back spot on the depth chart. Unfortunately, his bid took a major hit in the first half when he put the ball on the turf. In the NFL preseason, turning the ball over via a lost fumble is one of the quickest ways to fall behind in a position battle, leaving Milton with plenty of ground to make up in the coming weeks.

Dexter Lawrence II and Jonathan Allen barely broke a sweat, playing exactly three defensive snaps each during the opening defensive series before heading to the bench for the rest of the night.Because head coach Zac Taylor chose to defer after winning the coin toss, the highly anticipated new-look interior duo actually took the field before Joe Burrow and the offense. The star additions started alongside Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy on the defensive line, giving the home crowd a quick thrill.

Dexter Lawrence II and Jonathan Allen Barely Break a Sweat:
On a five-play opening drive by Detroit, Lawrence and Allen only logged three plays and did not accumulate any counting statistics.

While neither player had a chance to log a headline-grabbing sack or tackle for loss, their sheer presence clogged the middle early. The opening drive quickly culminated in a deflected pass that safety Jordan Battle intercepted. Because the interception happened downfield, Lawrence and Allen actually missed seeing the takeaway live—they were already trotting to the bench to put on headsets and chat after completing their pre-planned three-snap workload.

The microscopic snap count was completely intentional. The Bengals’ coaching staff has been incredibly careful with veteran wear-and-tear throughout training camp, opting for heavy load management to ensure the revamped defensive line makes it to Week 1 fully healthy. Following the game, Zac Taylor explained his rationale for playing the star defensive tackles so briefly.

“I told them both they were going to play three plays, and they were going to play less than anybody else,” Taylor said. “The fans have been excited about a lot of the new acquisitions we’ve had, and so I wanted them to have a chance to see that huddle break and those guys go out there, and then we quickly got them out.”

Lawrence was equally relaxed about his brief Bengals debut in stripes: “It’s just another step toward a long season… I’m pleased with the win.”