As the Bengals prepare for their toughest week of the summer next week at Paycor Stadium with Thursday's joint practice against the Bears followed up by Saturday's final home preseason game against Chicago, what's becoming clear is this very well could be head coach Zac Taylor's toughest final cut in his eight seasons.
Which means the club is deep.
In Thursday night's 16-14 win over the Lions at Paycor's preseason opener Thursday, players where the roster could hinge had good outings, such as nifty CFL wide receiver Dohnte Meyers, rookie wide receiver Colbie Young and rookie tight end Jack Endies.
The fallout of the massive upgrade on defense has been tighter competition up front and in the back end, and so it was on Thursday that the best positions were on the defensive line and in the secondary.
A look at the roster heading into a Bear of a week:
QUARTERBACKS (4)
**Joe Flacco** (19), **Josh Johnson** (14), **Joe Burrow** (7), **Sean Clifford** (2)
Burrow led them to a field goal against the Lions in his two series of 13 plays, hit his first five passes, and the only one he missed was when his arm got hit as the Bengals take a long look at the under-center stuff.
Burrow went under seven times and was in the shotgun six times, compared to last year's preseason opener in Philadelphia when he was in the gun 11 of 16 while throwing two touchdowns.
"Some good, some bad. Just like everywhere, we can get better," said Burrow of the results. "We're working to get better in all facets, that certainly being one of them. We're adding that to our system and see where it can take us."
At the very least, head coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher accomplished a noble goal of getting the defense to wonder what's next.
Taylor: "We're just trying to function (with) our offense and be efficient. Obviously, we want to come away with more than three points in the two drives (Burrow) was in, but there's going to be some positive things and some things we'll work to correct."
Stil spinning it after all these years, Flacco, 41, had the night's only touchdown pass and biggest save when he rescued the ball for rookie tight end Jake Endries. Johnson, the kid at 40, bounced back from an 0-7 start and led two field-goal drives while coaxing along newbies like Meyers and Endries to big plays. He'd like the go ball to wide receiver Charlie Jones back, but he also hit seven straight and 10 of his last 12.
WIDE RECEIVERS (12)
**Tee Higgins** (7), **Ja’Marr Chase** (6), **Andrei Iosivas** (4), **Charlie Jones** (4), **Mitch Tinsley** (3), **Kendric Pryor** (2), **Ke’Shawn Williams** (2), **Xavier Johnson** (1), **Jordan Moore** (1), **Dohnte Meyers** (1), **Noah Thomas** (R), **Colbie Young** (R)
After Meyers put on a show with four touches for 42 (three plays of 13 yards) to go with an 11-yard punt return, he seems to be leading the pack at the back of the room in the CFL tradition of Andrew Hawkins and the undrafted legacy of Alex Erickson.
Williams staked a claim with a versatile night of a 48-yard kick return and a seven-yard punt return to go with an eight-yard end-around.
Young continues to get the ball down the field in Tee-like fashion with another 20-yard catch from Flacco and he took a rep with Burrow. Iosivas has a vast experience edge over Young at No. 3, but Zac Taylor is also using the magic word on Young.
"It was a mixture of getting Tee a break on that one, and I think we had a miscue overall on the play. It didn't play out the way we intended, but yeah, he's proving to be dependable," Taylor said.
Jones had a status quo night with no catches and a fair catch. But his three career return touchdowns loom large.
RUNNING BACKS (7)
**Samaje Perine** (10), **Gary Brightwell** (4), **Chase Brown** (4), **Tahj Brooks** (2), **Kendall Milton** (1), **Kentrel Bullock** (R), **Jamal Haynes** (R).
A quiet night behind the tandem of Brown and Perine that offered a reminder just how solid they are. Brown was all over the place with five carries for 16 yards, making a nice block in pass pro on Burrow's longest play of the night (the 16-yarder over the middle to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase), and lining up as a receiver while Perine had back-to-back seven-yard dashes via a run and pass.
They're hoping to get Brooks (11 yards on four rushes) untracked, and none of the backups had a stat on special teams.
TIGHT ENDS (7)
**Mike Gesicki** (9), **Drew Sample** (8), **Tanner Hudson** (7), **Erick All Jr.** (3), **Cam Grandy** (3), **Jack Endies** (R), **Josh Kattus** (R)
A big night for Endies. He not only caught a touchdown and made three defenders miss on a 17-yarder that was mostly YAC, but Burrow also compared him to one of his main men, Hudson, and that can go a long way in club-making.
That's a classic vet-rookie battle between the reliable, popular Hudson and the athletic, high-ceiling Endries. No doubt they hope the numbers work so both make it. Note that Pro Football Focus had Endries with three clean pass-pros. Never mind his estimable pass receiving, but they love how he not only tries to block but what he gets done. Note, too, Hudson's two tackles in the kicking game and that 15-yard snag.
You have to figure All gets his first non-Bengal action in 21 months in the Bears' practice as they continue to be impressed with his progress back from an ACL injury.
OFFENSIVE LINE (15)
C **Ted Karras** (11), LT **Orlando Brown Jr.** (9), T-G **Cody Ford** (8), LG **Dalton Risner** (8), RT **Amarius Mims** (3), G **Dylan Fairchild** (2), G **Jalen Rivers** (2), T **Andrew Coker** (1), T **Javon Foster** (1), C **Jacob Bayer** (1), G **Liam Brown** (R), C **Connor Lew** (R), T **Christian Jones** (R), T-G **Brian Parker II** (R), T **Corey Robinson II** (R).
You get a sense of what they're trying to do in back of the starters by Thursday's top five snap counts on offense.
In his debut, Parker took more plays Thursday than any Bengal with 57 while playing both guard and a little center. Bayer also played 57 at center with a little guard thrown in. Rivers took 48 at guard, but don't be surprised to see him also get involved in the swing- tackle thing. The two guys who are in the thick of that derby, right tackle Andrew Coker and left tackle Javon Foster, had 40 and 36 respectively. Ford, the incumbent swing, allowed pressures on 12 pass blocks out of his 20 snaps.
Via PFF, with the backups playing the Lions backups, the Bengals allowed one sack, three hits, and five hurries in the final three quarters, and the quarterbacks were able to operate. Coker allowed a sack, PFF says, but he impressed them when he played hurt after banging his elbow early, and Foster showed some athleticism on the left side despite allowing two hurries. Fair to say that spot is still very much up in the air.
Parker held up in his NFL debut at guard and center in his early bid to maybe play all five spots. PFF says he allowed two hurries on 34 pass-blocks. Bayer gave up no hurries while also getting 34 shots at two spots. Lew figures to work at center with the second group when they deem his comeback from an ACL injury can go to the next step after appearing in team drills the past 10 days.
DEFENSIVE LINE (16)
DT **Jonathan Allen** (10), DT **B.J. Hill** (9), DT **Dexter Lawrence II** (8), DT **T.J. Slaton Jr.** (6), DE **Boye Mafe** (5), DE **Myles Murphy** (4), DE **Isaiah Foskey** (4), DT **McKinnley Jackson** (3), DT **Jordan Jefferson** (3), DT **Kris Jenkins Jr.,** (3), DE **Cedric Johnson** (3), DE **Shemar Stewart** (2), DT **Howard Cross III** (2), DE **Antwaun Powell-Ryland** (1), DE **Cashius Howell** (R), DT **Landon Robinson** (R).
A standout night from the group in a game the Bengals had 18 hurries and forced the Lions' 55 passer rating, led by Jenkins' second-highest PFF grade against the run and his sack and two pressures in the pass game. Slaton was also monstrous as their highest-graded defender on just six plays that included a tipped pass
They have to love what their rookies did here. Howell, their first draft pick who plays like a man possessed in any setting, had 10 pass-rush snaps for 30% in something called win-rate, which is really good. But all you have to know is he had two pressures and recovered a fumble. Robinson, their last draft pick, had a sack, a QB hit, and a run stop playing the most snaps on defense with 46. Johnson just does what he does, which is produce on the edge with four hurries. Foskey also had four Cross, a practice-squadder last year who appears to them to have returned stronger, had three wins on pass rush to go with a high run grade.
LINEBACKERS (9)
**Oren Burks** (9), **Joe Giles-Harris** (3), **Shaka Heyward** (3), **Swayze Bozeman** (2), **Barrett Carter** (2), **Demetrius Knight Jr.** (2), **Liam Anderson** (1), **Eric Gentry** (R), **Jack Dingle** (R)
They're looking for a guy to emerge behind Carter, Knight, and Burks, and Bozeman took a step with a nice stop in the run and defending two of his four pass targets, and broke up one of them. Giles-Harris continued his kicking-game tackling tear into the preseason as one of coordinator Darrin Simmons' core special-teamers with a tackle and two assists. Heyward, another core teamer, added an assist along with three tackles from scrimmage.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (16)
S **Kyle Dugger** (7), CB **Jalen Davis** (6), S **Bryan Cook** (5), CB **Dax Hill** (5), CB **Ja’Sir Taylor** (5), S **Jordan Battle** (4), CB **DJ Ivey** (4), CB **DJ Turner II** (4), S **Daijahn Anthony** (3), CB **Josh Newton** (3), S **Russ Yeast** (3), S **PJ Jules** (2), CB **Jalen Kimber** (1), CB **Bralyn Lux** (1), CB **Tacario Davis** (R), S **Isaiah Nwokobia** (R), CB **Ceyair Wright** (R).
With Hill, Cook, Jalen Davis and Tacario Davis out, this was the star group from Thursday that put its depth on display.
First things first. The first play of the game. This is one of the reasons they think it's going to be different. Dugger was all over a short pass with a sure tackle, and that's why they're going to love him. No gain. 0.0 YAC
Ivey showed why some think he can start for another team when he got one target in 18 coverage snaps (per PFF), didn't allow a catch, had a breakup, and had their highest coverage grade, just ahead of Dugger. Newton had a high run grade to go with the third best in coverage when he had one target in 22 coverages with no catches.
Taylor and Lux are playing well in the backup slot. They must like what Taylor is doing since he got only eight snaps with Davis already out. Lux led the corners with 40, 19 of them in coverage, where he gave up two catches for seven yards.
SPECIALISTS (3)
K **Evan McPherson** (6), P **Ryan Rehkow** (3), LS **William Wagner** (2)
Has Money Mac missed yet in 2026? Last Friday night he drilled a 65-yarder, and on Thursday night in the rain he hit a 56-yarder that could have been a 65-yarder. With 16 seconds left in the half on fourth-and-seven, they mulled a 62-yarder, one off the club record he set last year.
"It was into the wind and why not swing at it?" McPherson said. "But if you missed, they get the ball right there, and maybe they get a field goal."
Johnson got called for intentionally grounding on fourth-and-seven and Lions kicker Jake Bates kicked one even shorter (52) at the gun.
McPherson also knocked through field goals from 33 and 41 after a season he didn't miss inside 50.
Rehkow, who became the first Bengal to average more than 50 yards per punt in a season last year, pumped one 56 yards and put three inside the 20. He's also trying to cut back on the touchbacks, and he had one Thursday night when he couldn't quite nudge it into the corner.
Wagner had a tackle and fought through the first-half rain.
