NFL 2026
Week 3 · Saturday, August 22, 2026 · Paycor Stadium 0
Game Recap

Bengals Rout Bears 27-9 in Preseason Week 2

Cincinnati Bengals 27, Chicago Bears 9 at Paycor Stadium. Josh Johnson went 15 of 23 for 156 yards with 2 touchdowns.

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Quarter Scoring

Team Q1Q2Q3Q4 Total
Bears
3600 9
Bengals
31473 27

Bengals Leaders

Passing Yards
Josh Johnson
15/23, 156 YDS, 2 TD
Rushing Yards
Tahj Brooks
3 CAR, 16 YDS
Receiving Yards
Colbie Young
3 REC, 48 YDS, 1 TD
Tackles

Bears Leaders

Passing Yards
Case Keenum
9/17, 119 YDS
Rushing Yards
Roschon Johnson
12 CAR, 42 YDS
Receiving Yards
Maurice Alexander
5 REC, 60 YDS
Sacks
-

Team Stats

Bears Stat Bengals
17 1st Downs 19
11 Passing 1st downs 14
4 Rushing 1st downs 3
2 1st downs from penalties 2
2-14 3rd down efficiency 6-13
1-3 4th down efficiency 0-0
67 Total Plays 58
322 Total Yards 346
4.8 Yards per Play 6.0
12 Total Drives 12
236 Passing 282
24/43 Comp/Att 25/38
5.2 Yards per pass 7.4
0 Interceptions thrown 1
2-14 Sacks-Yards Lost 0-0
86 Rushing 64
22 Rushing Attempts 20
3.9 Yards per rush 3.2
0-2 Red Zone (Made-Att) 2-3
11-81 Penalties 9-49
0 Turnovers 1
0 Fumbles lost 0
0 Interceptions thrown 1
0 Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0
30:36 Possession 29:24

Scoring Plays

8 scores
Q1 11:41
Cairo Santos 45 Yd Field Goal
3–0
Q1 4:40
Evan McPherson 25 Yd Field Goal
3–3
Q2 11:00
Cairo Santos 26 Yd Field Goal
6–3
Q2 4:25
Colbie Young 17 Yd pass from Josh Johnson (Evan McPherson Kick)
6–10
Q2 0:23
Tanner Hudson 6 Yd pass from Josh Johnson (Evan McPherson Kick)
6–17
Q2 0:00
Cairo Santos 44 Yd Field Goal
9–17
Q3 11:57
Noah Thomas 20 Yd pass from Sean Clifford (Evan McPherson Kick)
9–24
Q4 14:11
Evan McPherson 58 Yd Field Goal
9–27

Preseason Week 2: Bears Look to Build on Blowout Win in Cincinnati

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The Chicago Bears travel to Cincinnati on Saturday, August 22, fresh off a 34-10 Week 1 win over Cleveland in which quarterback Caleb Williams looked sharp and reportedly has continued that form in practice. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is out with a hamstring injury suffered in that opener, which should mean more reps for Case Keenum and Miller Moss behind Williams. The Bengals host looking to open 2-0 in the preseason.

Williams building on a strong opener

Continued sharpness in practice after a lopsided Week 1 win suggests Chicago's offense is developing real rhythm under new coach Ben Johnson.

Bagent's absence reshuffles the QB room

With the presumptive backup out, Keenum and Moss are set to see increased reps, adding a layer of evaluation to this game beyond Williams's series.

Bengals chasing their own 2-0 start

Cincinnati enters with its own motivation to build early preseason momentum at home.

Pregame AI Prediction

Winner missed Confidence: Medium

How the prediction did

Predicted 22-17 (Bears vs Bengals), final was 9-27. Cincinnati won 27-9 at home, snapping Chicago's momentum from its Week 1 blowout win.

Bears
22
56% to win
VS
Bengals
17
44% to win
Bears 56% Bengals 44%

Chicago enters with real momentum

A blowout Week 1 win and continued sharp practice from Williams give the Bears a stronger recent track record than most teams see at this point in preseason.

Bagent's injury is a minor complication, not a major one

Keenum brings enough experience that the shuffled QB2/QB3 reps shouldn't meaningfully hurt Chicago's offense.

Cincinnati's home motivation keeps this from a blowout projection

A team chasing its own 2-0 start has real incentive to play with intensity, keeping the final margin uncertain.

This is a preseason exhibition. Chicago's Week 1 momentum and Williams's continued sharp play are the driving factors behind this projection.

Venue

Paycor Stadium
Cincinnati, OH
0

Closing Line

CHI -3.5
O/U 38.5
via DraftKings

Officials

Barry Anderson Umpire
Ronald Torbert Referee
Keith Washington Side Judge
Ryan Dickson Field Judge
Danny Short Down Judge

Futures odds for these teams

Super Bowl futures, win totals & where to bet

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Bengals Injuries

Tee Higgins
WR · Bruise
Questionable
Ja'Marr Chase
WR · Not Specified
Questionable
Shemar Stewart
DE · Not Specified
Questionable
Brian Parker II
OT · Not Specified
Injured Reserve
Ja'Sir Taylor
CB · Not Specified
Injured Reserve

Bears Injuries

Austin Booker
DE · Not Specified
Questionable
Rome Odunze
WR · Not Specified
Questionable
Kyle Monangai
RB · Not Specified
Questionable
D'Andre Swift
RB · Cramps
Questionable
Hayden Large
TE · Not Specified
Injured Reserve