Detroit LionsvsCincinnati Bengals
DET 14/CIN 16
Cincinnati beat Detroit 16-14 in a preseason opener at Paycor Stadium.
The recap
Preseason grind-it-out job in Cincy, where the Bengals leaned on Evan McPherson's leg to bank a 16-14 win the Lions never quite caught. Joe Flacco found Jack Endries for the game's first touchdown, then McPherson piled on three field goals while Detroit's offense mostly stalled and Luke Altmyer coughed up two picks.
The Lions made it interesting late when Altmyer hit Tarik Black and cashed the two-point conversion to pull within two, but they ran out of clock. Nobody's rewriting a depth chart over this one, but McPherson quietly carried it when neither backup quarterback could sustain a drive.