The story of the night was Cincinnati's second-team defense, which held Philadelphia to single-digit points for most of the game. Cornerback Tacario Davis picked off a pass, Isaiah Foskey and Antwaun Powell-Ryland combined for a sack of McKee, and the group made life miserable enough that the Bengals' offense kept getting the ball with a short field. On the health side, Ja'Marr Chase (knee) sat out this one as a precaution, and Philadelphia is still bracing for Jonathan Greenard (pectoral) to potentially miss the regular-season opener — the kind of subplot that matters more than anything that happened on the field Friday.
None of it changes what's coming: real games, real quarterbacks, and rosters that look nothing like what took the field at Lincoln Financial Field. But preseason finales still tell you something about depth, and Friday's did — Cincinnati's is deeper right now, especially up front on defense.
The Bengals didn't just win the trenches, they won it everywhere. Jamal Haynes broke a 39-yard touchdown run, Kentrel Bullock punched another one in from 6 yards out, and Ke'Shawn Williams caught a touchdown from Clifford on a night the offense mixed backup quarterbacks without ever looking disjointed. Evan McPherson made all three of his field-goal tries, including a 58-yarder, and finishes the preseason having not missed a kick.
Philadelphia's issues were more about who wasn't producing than who got hurt. First-round rookie Makai Lemon managed just 3 catches for 3 yards in his preseason debut, including a drop that turned into an interception — a rough first impression, though one outing shouldn't define a rookie receiver two days before the games start counting. Carson Steele was the one bright spot underneath, working as a checkdown option for both quarterbacks, but the offense as a whole never found a rhythm behind Cincinnati's pressure.
With that, the preseason is officially over for both clubs. Cincinnati leaves Philadelphia unbeaten in exhibition play and with a defense that looked the part even without its starters; Philadelphia leaves with a backup quarterback question still hanging over final cuts and an offense that needs its regulars back in the lineup in a hurry.