40-year-old journeyman QB Josh Johnson leads Bengals to 27-9 preseason victory over Bears

In a preseason game against the Chicago Bears, 40-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson guided the Cincinnati Bengals to a decisive 27-9 victory. Johnson's leadership came while the Bengals' starters and key backups remained in street clothes. After leading a 14-play, 67-yard drive at the start, Johnson showcased his skills by throwing two touchdown passes late in the second quarter, securing an 11-point halftime lead.

Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 156 yards, with a 17-yard touchdown to rookie wide receiver Colbie Young and a 6-yard TD pass to veteran tight end Tanner Hudson, the latter securing the score with only 23 seconds left in the half. Chicago's starting quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the Bears' starters made their preseason debuts in a limited capacity, playing only the opening series.

Williams completed 2 of 5 passes for 28 yards, but faced challenges as all three incompletions occurred after Chicago drove into the red zone, suffering a holding penalty that set up a first-and-20 situation. The Bears managed to score a 3-0 lead through Cairo Santos' three field goals, including a 45-yarder. However, Cincinnati's Evan McPherson answered with field goals from 58 and 25 yards, while Sean Clifford capitalized on Johnson's absence in the second half, leading a 20-yard touchdown drive that extended the Bengals' lead to 24-9.

Johnson's performance marked the first time since coach Zac Taylor's arrival in 2019 that the Bengals won more than one preseason game. Injuries to the Bears included linebacker Nephi Sewell being carted off late in the first half, while Bengals safety Joe Giles-Harris was evaluated for a concussion. As the season progresses, the Bengals will face their final preseason game in Philadelphia on Friday night, while the Bears will conclude their preseason with a game against Tennessee next Saturday.