Bengals try to avoid an 0-3 start in Monday night matchup with Commanders

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to get back on track after yet another slow start.

They’re used to it by now, having started 0-2 in five of the last six seasons. Cincinnati has a chance to stop the skid when the Washington Commanders (1-1) come to town on Monday night. A loss would mark the worst start for the Bengals since they dropped their first 11 games of the 2019 season.

Playoff expectations, however, are still intact for Joe Burrow and Co.

The Bengals were flat in their 16-10 loss in Week 1 to the New England Patriots. Last Sunday, they hung with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, only to lose 26-25 on a 51-yard field goal by Harrison Butker as time ran out.

The Commanders have 30 new players on the 53-man roster, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, their first-round draft pick. They managed to beat the New York Giants 21-18 with seven field goals and zero touchdowns Sunday.

“We can’t give these guys an inch,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “We’ve got to find a way to make every play so we can get this first win. There’s still a lot of football left to play. I’m confident our guys are going to respond the right way this week.”

Playing in prime time

The Commanders are playing the first of two prime-time games this season, something that has become the norm in Washington. The team had one last season and three in 2022.

“We try to keep as much as we can the same exact way,” coach Dan Quinn said. “We want to make sure the process stays the same. And if you can stay consistently in that preparation and all it takes to go into it every single week, then what you can expect is then better performances as you’re going.”

Including Monday’s game, the Bengals play three in prime time this season.

“Night games are just a little more special,” Taylor said. “I think everybody would agree with that.”

Terry time?

Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has thrown to Terry McLaurin more than anyone else through two games, but Washington’s top receiver still only has eight catches for 39 yards and has yet to get in the end zone. McLaurin surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past four seasons and was over 900 in his rookie year, during which he missed time because of injury.

“Obviously we’ve got to get Terry the ball,” Daniels said. “Defenses are gonna key on Terry, respectfully, and respect to him because of what he has done in his league. But at the end of the day, man, when it’s time and we have a 1-on-1 matchup, sometimes, Terry’s out there, go let him win.”

McLaurin could be due for a breakout game, but the Commanders’ offense has also shown to be balanced. Running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler have combined for 221 yards rushing and 151 receiving.

Making strides

The Bengals might be 0-2, but the difference between their first and second games was night and day.

In the opening loss to the Patriots, Cincinnati struggled to run the ball, missed tackles and turned the ball over twice. Burrow, playing in the first game since his right wrist was surgically repaired, put up pedestrian numbers. The Bengals had just 224 yards of offense.

Against the Chiefs, the Bengals’ defense created three turnovers, Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and Cincinnati outgained the reigning champs 320 yards to 286.

You can’t do that

The Bengals will try to clean up the penalties, which were costly against the Chiefs. They were flagged eight times for 79 yards — and two of them were killers.

Kansas City had a fourth-and-16 late in the game when a pass-interference call against Cincinnati rookie safety Daijahn Anthony gave the Chiefs a first down in Butker’s range, setting up the game winner.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, receiver Ja’Marr Chase thought a Chiefs defender got away with an illegal hip-drop tackle. He screamed and cursed at a referee, who flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty put the Bengals behind the chains, and they eventually had to settle for a field goal.

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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