Nothing too radical came out of this preseason game but there are things to touch on. The Bears sent out their first-team offense and defense for a series while the Bengals acted like they didn’t want to participate in this game, going with all backups. However, once the Bears starters departed the game, it was the Bengals taking control and winning handily, led by the game’s MVP, third-string QB Josh Johnson (15-23 for 156 yards, 2 TD/0 INT, 1-7-0).
The Bears gave it a decent effort but mostly played deeper backups in a vanilla offense. The Bengals’ backups had a little bit more energy and the QB play was sharper with the Cincy 3rd and 4th-string QBs versus the Bears’ 3rd and 4th-string QBs.
On to the player notes where I’m going to put the notes in roughly the order that I took them to flow with how the game progressed from a viewing standpoint.
Player Notes…
– A couple of notes out of the Bears first-team offense playing a series to start this game, and the drive resulting in a field goal. The offensive line was the thing that most caught my eye/impressed me, but I can’t get too excited about it just yet because they were facing the Bengals’ backups. But know that the Bengals’ backup defense was looking pretty good; they have some depth of talent.
Caleb Williams (2-5 for 28 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) did us an ADP favor and didn’t do anything of note. There was a viral clip moment where Colston Loveland (1-10-0/3) was open heading toward the end zone on a medium route and Caleb Williams threw it high; Colston Loveland reached up for it but it went off his fingertips. Social media took that and went with their narrative that Caleb Williams is too erratic and inaccurate to be a good QB. When I saw the reality of the scouting tape, I just had to laugh at how people took that play and made a giant, sweeping decision for 2026 and beyond.
They didn’t consider that Loveland was running into coverage (should’ve gone away to the sideline) and Caleb had a tiny window to put it over the linebacker and not throw it too far inside to where Loveland would’ve had his head taken off. It might have been a brilliant misconnect in reality, a smart adjustment/attempt by Caleb--but that won’t satisfy the one clip wonder scouts.
Bottom line: whatever any of us thought about Caleb Williams for the 2026 season, nothing changed with this game one way or the other. Also, from this first series, there was a simple pass play to Rome Odunze (0-0-0, 1-18-0/2) that he caught and rambled 10+ yards with; he looks fine to me and the foot seems OK.
– Bengals rookie Colby Young (3-48-1/8) is supposedly pushing to be the #3 WR over Andrei Iosivas (2-35-0/5). That’s pretty sweet for a Day 3 rookie to potentially get in the starting lineup with Joe Burrow, but I don’t know if Colby Young is actually going to get ahead of Andrei Iosivas to start the year...nor do I believe it really matters if Young is a #3 or not because he’s not much better/worse than FF-useless Iosivas.
– The best young WR the Bengals may have had in this game of backups is Dohnte Meyers (5-41-0/6). And honestly, I didn’t even know who he was until the local Bengals announcers talked about him having a good training camp and then he went out there and caught a team-high 5 passes. Nice routes, sturdy frame, decent release and decent hands.
Here is a quick GEMINI bio and scouting on Meyers...NOT my scouting.
Player Profile
Age: 26 (Born July 6, 2000)
Listed Size: 5’11", 186 lbs
Pro Day Measurables: 5’9 1/4" height, 188 lbs weight, 31" arm length, 8 7/8" hand size, 4.54 40-yard dash (1.56 10-yd split), 4.23 20-yd shuttle, 6.99 3-cone, 35.0" vertical, 10’6" broad jump, 15 bench reps.
Short Bio (Dohnte Meyers)
Born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Georgia, Dohnte Meyers converted to wide receiver late in high school and went unrated in recruiting. He began his college journey at FCS Presbyterian College (2018–2019) before transferring to Division II Delta State (2020–2022). Over two active seasons at Delta State, he logged 120 receptions, 1,542 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns.
After going undrafted in 2023, Dohnte Meyers signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in 2024. He broke out in 2025, racking up 65 catches for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns while helping lead Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup championship. That performance earned him a CFL West All-Star selection and caught the attention of NFL evaluators, leading to a Reserve/Future contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2026.
Scouting Pros
• Pro-Level Production: Proven capacity to dominate as a primary target in professional competition (1,056 yards in the CFL).
• Quickness & Agility: Strong short-area quickness showcased by a sub-7.00 three-cone (6.99) and 4.23 shuttle, allowing him to create separation at the break point.
• Explosive Lower Body: Excellent broad jump (10’6") and solid vertical (35") highlight burst out of his cuts and off the line of scrimmage.
• Versatility & Special Teams: Experience playing both slot and perimeter, alongside kickoff and punt return experience that adds roster value.
Scouting Cons
• Marginal Size & Length: Below-average height (5’9 1/4" verified) and smaller hands (8 7/8") limit his catch radius and ability to win contested catches against longer NFL cornerbacks.
• Middling Top-End Speed: A 4.54 40-yard dash is sufficient for the slot but lacks vertical pull-away speed to stretch NFL secondary coverage.
• Age & Projection: At 26 years old, he enters the NFL as an older prospect with a lower developmental ceiling compared to younger draft entrants.
– I took a deeper look at Bears rookie TE Sam Roush (0-0-0, 2-30-0/3). No big takeaways came from it. He looks like most big, rookie tight ends: a little awkward and skittish running routes. He did catch a pass and rumbled for a decent number of yards with it, but it was nothing memorable.
– Bears rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg (3 tackles, 0.0 sacks, 0 TFLs, 0 PDs, 0 INTs) looked very good, very quick, and very active in his time on the field. Some good tape to confirm our top DT prospetc scouting on him.
– Bengals rookie DB Tacario Davis (7 tackles, 0.0 sacks, 1 TFLs, 0 PDs, 0 INTs) really played a nice game--from the perspective that it seemed like every other play on the Bengals defense, Tacario Davis was somewhere in the mix or in the middle of it.
– Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker (0-0-0, 1-36-0/2) made an excellent 36-yard catch. I thought Jahdae Walker could make a push at the starting lineup, but with the groups he is playing with, it doesn’t seem like he’s close.
– I got to see a little of Jamal Haynes (1-2-0, 1-7-0/1), the Bengals UDFA rookie RB that I really like as a legit useful NFL RB. I thought he looked good with his one carry and especially his one screen pass catch, which is where he is very lethal… But he was buried in this game and barely got to touch the ball. I thought he had legit NFL talent, but the NFL thinks otherwise.
It’s not completely over for Jamal Haynes, but it’s not looking good for any FF hope anytime soon.
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