Bengals Defeat Lions 13-6 in Preseason Opener

The Cincinnati Bengals secured a 13-6 victory over the Detroit Lions in the opening preseason game on Thursday night. The Bengals, who deferred after winning the toss, allowed the Lions to start with rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer before taking control of the scoreboard.

Altmyer led an early drive that ended with an interception, and the Bengals responded with a 17-yard pass to Ja’Marr Chase before a sack forced a punt. A 56-yard field goal by Evan McPherson gave Cincinnati a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter. Detroit’s reserves continued to rotate, and the Lions’ defense forced a turnover on downs before the quarter ended.

In the second quarter, the Bengals extended the lead to 10-0 after a short-run touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Jack Endes. Detroit’s backup quarterback Josh Dobbs engineered a drive that stalled after a sack, and the Lions managed a field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3. A late-quarter field goal by Jake Bates narrowed the score to 10-6.

The third quarter saw the Bengals add a field goal after a sustained drive, bringing the final margin to 13-6. Both teams used the game to assess depth players, with Detroit resting most starters as announced by head coach Dan Campbell.

"We want to give our younger guys a chance to show what they can do," Campbell said after the game.

The result leaves the Bengals with a positive start to preseason, while the Lions continue to evaluate their roster ahead of next week’s home game against the Washington Commanders.