Bengals Beat Bears 27-9: Caleb Williams' Brief Cameo, Josh Johnson's Two TDs

Cincinnati beat Chicago 27-9 in Week 2 of the preseason, built on three touchdown passes, two of them from a journeyman quarterback fighting for a roster spot. Chicago never found the end zone, managing only three field goals all game. Its real starter barely played, and the more interesting story from that offense wasn't even about who was throwing the ball.

Caleb Williams' Week 2 look was brief and unremarkable

Caleb Williams Miller Moss

Williams went 2 of 5 for 28 yards, a 58.8 rating, on five total dropbacks, too small a sample to read anything into either way. Miller Moss took the bulk of the remaining snaps and struggled some himself: 13 of 21 for 103 yards, sacked twice, a 74.1 rating. Case Keenum also saw extended action (9 of 17, 119 yards, 75.4 rating).

JP Richardson saw the most targets on the field, even without a big box score

JP Richardson

Richardson drew nine targets, the most of any receiver in the game, but turned them into just five catches for 48 yards. Maurice Alexander was actually more efficient with fewer chances, five targets turned into five catches for 60 yards. The target count for Richardson, even without matching production, is the real signal worth tracking.

Josh Johnson threw two touchdowns, and Sean Clifford was nearly as good

Josh Johnson Sean Clifford

Johnson, a well-traveled journeyman fighting for a roster spot, went 15 of 23 for 156 yards and two touchdowns, a 113.7 rating, the best statistical line of the game for either team. Sean Clifford was also sharp in his own stint: 10 of 15 for 126 yards and a touchdown, though an interception knocked his rating down to 87.1.

Colbie Young

Colbie Young caught one of those touchdowns, though it took eight targets to get there for three catches and 48 yards, real red-zone trust even with a low overall catch rate.

Separating volume from production

The most useful habit when reading a preseason box score is to weigh opportunity over results, and this game is a clean teaching example. JP Richardson caught only five of nine targets for a modest yardage total, and a casual glance would file him under forgettable. The nine targets are the part that matters. Target volume is the single stickiest indicator a young receiver can produce in August, because it reflects a decision the coaching staff keeps making rather than a bounce that may not repeat. Maurice Alexander's tidy five-for-five line looks prettier, but five looks against nine is the gap that tells you who the staff is actually building around. For deep-league and best-ball managers, Richardson is the name to keep a tab on, even though nothing here belongs in a starting lineup yet.

The same logic applies to Colbie Young, whose three catches on eight targets read like inefficiency until you notice one of them was a touchdown. Eight targets with red-zone involvement is real trust, and red-zone trust is where touchdown equity lives. On the quarterback side, Josh Johnson's two-score relief outing will not put a journeyman on any redraft board, but backup battles like Cincinnati's do decide whether a pass-catching depth chart has a stable thrower behind the starter, which is the context that keeps late-round receivers from cratering when injuries hit. File all of it as pecking-order information, and let the first few weeks of real games confirm or erase it.

What to do with this

Caleb Williams' cameo tells you nothing, but JP Richardson's nine targets and Josh Johnson's two-touchdown relief outing are both worth remembering. Check the rookie rankings to see where Richardson currently sits, and use the best ball tool to see how Cincinnati's backup quarterback competition is being priced. Full box score: ESPN.