The Bengals' backups played the Bears' starters to a 3-3 stalemate in the first ten minutes of Saturday night's preseason at Paycor Stadium as first-year wide receiver Dohnte Meyers kept up his assault on a roster bid and 14-year quarterback Josh Johnson's two touchdown passes gave them a 17-9 halftime lead.

Johnson showed crisp command of head coach Zac Taylor's offense with a 113.7 passer rating from 15 of 23 passing for 156 yards. He lofted a dime to rookie wide receiver Colbie Young for a 17-yard touchdown on third down with 4:25 left in the half and hit veteran tight end Tanner Hudson for a six-yard slant with 23 seconds left in the half

Meyers had four catches for 32 yards in the opening drive where Johnson, the Bengals' other 40-year-old backup quarterback, showered the Bears' first unit with his savvy on a 14-play march that ended up in Evan McPherson's 25-yard field goal.

Johnson converted a pair of third-and-long passes to Meyers and Young before cashing a clever third-and-two when he kept a zone read around the edge and picked up seven when he deked linebacker Devin Bush into the turf.

Young, who is safe from cuts in the receiver room, bounced back from bobbling a contested ball on the left sideline on that first drive when a moment later he grabbed a ball in virtually the same spot and ripped it away from cornerback Dontae Manning while somehow keeping his feet in for an 18-yard catch on third-and-14.

Then on third-and-10 against an all-out blitz, Johnson found Meyers, who is getting safer and safer in the receiving room, beat cornerback Malik Muhammad II running to the right sideline for 14 yards.

Left tackle Jalen Rivers and right guard Cody Ford, who basically switched spots this week in their hunt for a swing tackle, both had false starts on the drive, but Johnson overcame it with seven of ten passing for 55 yards.

Meyers, the CFL product, made another bold bid to make it when he finished the first half with five catches for 41 yards, a jet sweep for nine yards, a punt for nine yards, and a kick return for 29 yards.

On his only drive, Bears starting quarterback Caleb Williams had a first-and-10 from the Bengals 17, but a holding call on left tackle Braxton Jones and heat applied by defensive coordinator Al Golden translated to no more yards.

A blitz by safety Daijahn Anthony forced a high throw to open tight end Colston Loveland, defensive tackle Howard Cross knocked down a pass, and cornerback DJ Ivey had Rome Odunze covered as Williams overthrew the end zone to force a field goal.

Other highlights:

_The backup defense played terrific all half until the last 15 seconds when they gave up a 16-yard run on the way to the Bears' last-snap field goal. Shaka Heyward and Swayze Bozeman, battling for maybe that same job, were  the leading tacklers with six and four, respectively.

_That backup offensive line (Rivers at left tackle, rookie Brian Parker II at left guard, center Jacob Bayer, Ford at right guard and Javon Foster at left tackle) did a great job protecting Johnson in that 58-second drive for the half's last touchdown and allowed Johnson to go 4-for-4 for 47 yards.

_The Bengals got the ball with 90 seconds left in the half when Golden called another third-down blitz (linebacker Liam Anderson bringing the heat on Case Keenum) and cornerback Bralyn Lux locking down the slot.

_Fourth-round pick Connor Lew made his NFL debut at center and played the first quarter in his first appearance since he tore his ACL last year at Auburn.