The parts of the Cincinnati Bengals that looked good last season flourished in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.
Quarterback Joe Burrow was nearly flawless and threw a couple of touchdowns. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase displayed the All-Pro skills that netted him a massive contract extension.
Those were the good parts. But there were still other areas that were lacking in a 34-27 loss at Lincoln Financial Field.
Cincinnati's first-string defense that fielded a slew of starters yielded explosive plays to an Eagles offense led by quarterback Tanner McKee.