The Cincinnati Bengals opened their 2026 preseason with a 16-14 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at Paycor Stadium, but the final score was hardly the most important part of the evening.
For a team with legitimate expectations entering the season, the preseason opener provided the first opportunity to see some of the offseason changes in an actual game environment. Joe Burrow and the first-team offense played two series, while the revamped defense got a brief look at the new-look front featuring Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen.
The results were encouraging in some areas and concerning in others.
Cincinnati’s defense immediately made its presence felt, forcing turnovers and generally making life difficult for Detroit’s young quarterbacks. Meanwhile, several players competing for roster spots or larger roles gave the coaching staff plenty to think about heading into the second preseason game.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from the Bengals’ preseason opener.
Winners
Al Golden
It wasn’t a perfect performance by Golden’s unit, and not even the type we saw in the early parts of training camp, but there were things to smile about on Thursday night.
Whether it was in their two first-half turnovers (interception and fumble recovery), the unit being a half-minute away from a first-half shutout, or their tenacity in going after the football, it was a promising 2026 debut, overall.
Evan McPherson
The Bengals’ kicker looked to be in midseason form in the preseason opener. He drilled a 56-yarder in the rain in the first half and continued putting up points against Detroit all evening.
Cashius Howell
The rookie edge defender was active in limited time, picking up a fumble recovery and teaming up for a half-sack with Kris Jenkins Jr. in the first half. He looks to be the spark plug the Bengals hoped for when they selected him in the second round.
Colbie Young
Young’s preseason debut provided another reason for optimism surrounding one of the Bengals’ most intriguing young offensive players. The fourth-round rookie has been one of the biggest stories of Cincinnati’s training camp, repeatedly making difficult catches and showing off the size that makes him such an intriguing option in the passing game.
The preseason opener wasn’t necessarily about putting up huge numbers. It was about showing that the impressive work at practice can translate to game action.
Bengals’ interior defensive line (Kris Jenkins Jr., Dexter Lawrence, and Landon Robinson)
While Lawrence’s impact was limited due to few snaps, his general presence was felt by the defensive unit. Jenkins shared a sack with Howell, and Robinson had a would-be sack, if not for a hold called on the offensive lineman. Depth up front is going to be key for the Bengals’ defense, and it was effective against the Lions.
Jack Endries
The Bengals’ other seventh-round pick this year had a great preseason debut for the team. Whether it was hauling in a touchdown grab from Joe Flacco or making three Lions defenders miss on a 17-yard gain in the second half, he looks to be a boost to an already-solid tight end room.
Jack Endries’ follow-up to his first half touchdown: pic.twitter.com/Js5QpQt67b
— Anthony Cosenza (@CJAnthonyCUI) August 14, 2026
Jordan Battle
Battle made arguably the biggest defensive play of the night when he intercepted Lions rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer. The interception came after the ball deflected off the hands of Detroit receiver Isaac TeSlaa, but Battle still had to be in position to make the play.
That is exactly the type of production Battle needs during what could be an important season for his future in Cincinnati.
Dohnte Meyers
The youngster is grinding for a roster spot in a crowded receiver room, and he was a joy to watch in second-half action. He made a few nice catches showing a little bit of everything, and had a nice sprint for 13 yards as a rusher.
Russ Yeast
The son of former Bengals player Craig Yeast made the game-sealing interception with about 20 seconds to play. He also had two tackles, but from a bigger-picture perspective, it was great to see the defense close it out after the game became tight.
Losers
Andrew Coker and Orlando Brown Jr.
It was a rough night for the Bengals’ left tackles. The opening unit of starters allowed two sacks on Joe Burrow (No. 9 ran into one of those), but Brown was beat off the edge by a quick rush.
In the third quarter, Coker had a sequence of plays where he had a false start and allowed a sack to derail a drive. He did recover a fumble for the offense to keep possession, though.
Kendall Milton
The Bengals’ second-half back had a rough night with a fumble and just 2.8 yards per carry. It was a rough night for both teams handling the football because of the earlier immense rain, but he will need to show more in the next couple of games.
The Bigger Picture
The Bengals didn’t need to win Thursday night. They needed to get some meaningful game reps, evaluate their young players, and come away healthy.
They accomplished most of that.
The defense once again looked like a completely different unit from the group that struggled so badly at times last season. Lawrence and Allen barely needed to play before the young defenders started making plays, while Battle and Howell each found ways to impact the game.
On offense, there were flashes from Burrow, Chase, Chase Brown, and the rest of the first-team group, but there is still work to do along the offensive line.
And then there were the young players.
Endries scored a touchdown. Young continued to build his case. Howell made another splash play. Those are exactly the types of developments Cincinnati wanted to see from its first preseason game.
The Bengals will now turn their attention toward the next stage of camp and preseason action, where the competition for roster spots will only become more intense.