The gist
- Final: Bengals 30, Eagles 13 at the Linc, wrapping the preseason at 0-3.
- Doubled up on the ground. Cincinnati rushed for 211 yards. Philly managed 70.
- Andy Dalton went 12-for-19 for 104 yards and a Carson Steele touchdown before the depth chart took over.
- The dagger: Jamal Haynes housed a 39-yard rush in the fourth to make it 30-13.
How it happened
Preseason finales are supposed to be tune-ups. This one felt more like a warning shot. The Cincinnati Bengals rolled into Lincoln Financial Field and left with a 30-13 win, dropping the Philadelphia Eagles to 0-3 for the August slate — a third straight preseason loss after the Ravens and Patriots tune-ups.
Evan McPherson banged home three first-half field goals — 29, 58, and 34 yards — to build a 9-0 Bengals lead that felt bigger than the scoreboard said. Jake Elliott finally got Philly on the board with a 45-yarder as the first half expired, then a 56-yard bomb out of the break to make it 9-6.
Then it slipped. Sean Clifford hit Ke'Shawn Williams for an 11-yard touchdown to push the lead to 16-6. Dalton answered with a 5-yard scoring throw to Carson Steele — the reserve back's best moment of the night — to cut it to 16-13. That was the last time it felt competitive. Kentrel Bullock punched in a 6-yard rushing score, and then Haynes ripped off the 39-yard touchdown run to bury it at 30-13.
The numbers that hurt
| Stat | PHI | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 210 | 420 |
| Rushing yards | 70 | 211 |
| First downs | 14 | 25 |
| 3rd down | 6-15 | 7-13 |
| Time of possession | 25:39 | 34:21 |
| Sacks allowed (yds) | 3-19 | 1-0 |
Cincinnati doubled up the yardage and nearly doubled up the first downs while owning nine extra minutes of clock. Dameon Pierce popped a nice 4-carry, 44-yard sample as the lead back, but nobody else moved it on the ground. Steele's 8 catches for 52 yards and the only Eagles touchdown made him the most productive skill guy in a Philadelphia uniform on the night. Defensively, Mac McWilliams led with 7 tackles and Keyshawn James-Newby got home for a sack — bright spots on a night that needed more of them.
What people are saying
The box score did the talking on this one. Cincinnati controlled the clock, ran it down Philly's throat, and the reserves couldn't punch back in the fourth. Preseason ends 0-3, and the Linc wasn't a fun place to be at the final gun.
Our take
Preseason wins don't hang banners and preseason losses don't sink seasons. Fine. But going 0-3 with a 17-point margin in the finale isn't just "reps." Hot take: the run defense in the second half — 211 rushing yards allowed, capped by a 39-yard touchdown — is a real thing worth tracking into Week 1. Yes, backups on both sides. Cincinnati's backups moved the football. Ours did not.
Preseason ends. The scouting tape doesn't.
Second take: Andy Dalton looked like Andy Dalton, which is exactly what the job description asks for. Twelve completions on 19 attempts, 104 yards, a touchdown to Steele, no picks. Backup QB play is a coaching-staff sedative, and that's the assignment. Steele's line — 8 catches, 52 yards, the score — is the kind of camp-body performance that gets a phone call before the 53 is set.
Third take: the sack sheet is ugly. Three sacks allowed for a 19-yard loss against one sack for zero yards the other way. Some of that is who's on the field. Some of it isn't. The offensive line still has to be a football team when the second unit is in.
Next up
That's the preseason. No next opponent to chart tonight — the schedule flips to the regular season and the roster is about to get real short. Half the names on this box score won't still be here when it counts. We'll be back when they're back, and the games start meaning something.
Preseason ends 0-3 at Lincoln Financial Field. We'd rather grade the film than the record & if you'd rather back your reads than just shout them, that's literally the game.