Bengals 16, Lions 14: McPherson's Leg Holds Off Detroit

August 13, 2026 - Cincinnati - Joe Burrow was already on the sideline when the Cincinnati Bengals actually scored a touchdown. That is preseason. It still counted on the scoreboard. Joe Flacco hit rookie tight end Jack Endries from four yards, Evan McPherson made three field goals, and Russ Yeast intercepted Luke Altmyer with 16 seconds left. Final: Bengals 16, Detroit Lions 14.

Cincinnati's first preseason opener win since 2021. Detroit's late 80-yard drive made it a one-score game. The onside kick did not bounce Detroit's way.

Two series, one sack, a 56-yarder

Zac Taylor got his starters at least three plays. Burrow and the first-string line played two series. Five of six, 39 yards, a 16-yard strike to Ja'Marr Chase on play-action. Then a sack, then a hit while throwing on third-and-4 from the Lions 38. McPherson drilled a 56-yarder. 3-0. That was the starter night.

Jordan Battle had already picked Altmyer on Detroit's opening drive. Cashius Howell, the second-round pick, recovered a fumbled exchange at the Lions 7. Two plays later Flacco rolled right and found Endries. 10-0. Flacco finished 5-of-8 for 51 yards. Endries caught three for 25, tying Dohnte Meyers for the team lead in receptions.

Joshua Dobbs, signed Monday, went 4-of-8 for 32 yards and two field-goal drives in three series. Jake Bates hit from 41 and 52 as the half ended. 10-6, Cincinnati.

The fourth that almost flipped it

McPherson added 33 and 41. 16-6. Altmyer, an undrafted rookie who played most of the night, went 13-of-22 for 130 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions. He also directed a 12-play, 80-yard march, hitting Tarik Black from 24 yards with 1:35 left, then keeping the two-point try. 16-14.

Noah Thomas recovered the onside kick. Detroit got one more snap from its 9. Yeast intercepted it. Game.

Josh Johnson handled most of the second half for Cincinnati (10-of-19, 84 yards). Ke'Shawn Williams returned a kickoff 48 yards. Colbie Young converted third-and-16 with a 20-yard catch. None of that is September football. All of it is August tape.

AthX Engine, if this were a regular-season card

NFL weekly lines are not the live system of record yet, so these numbers are the AthX Engine NFL scoring table applied to Thursday's box, the same way a regular-season game would grade.

McPherson: 56-yard FG (11), 33-yard FG (7), 41-yard FG (9), extra point (2) = 29 kicker fantasy points. Bates's 52-yarder would be 11 by itself. Endries, as a tight end: 3 catches, 25 yards, 1 TD = 16.8 with the 1.5 TE premium. Flacco: 51 pass yards and a TD = 10.1. Burrow's 39 yards = 3.1. Chase's 16-yard catch = 4.5. Altmyer's 130 yards, TD, two INTs, and 2-point rush: 14.4. Yeast's interception, as a DB, would be 30 IDP points on the regular-season card. That is the AthX Engine table, not a claim that Thursday is already in the weekly boards.

Fantasy points measure production. Price is what the market pays. They are not the same number.

Track Burrow, Chase, and the Bengals on the marketplace. Cincinnati hosts Chicago on Aug. 22. Detroit hosts Washington the same night.

*Sources: ESPN, Bengals.com recap, AP via ABC. Information only; not financial advice.*