It’s week 3 of the NFL season and the 1-1 Washington Commanders will be facing an 0-2 Bengals team on the road in Cincinnati on Monday Night Football. The Bengals have lost games against the Patriots (in which they were heavily favored in week 1) and Chiefs (in which they were an underdog, but almost won in week 2) and will no doubt be planning to throw everything they have into this game in order to avoid an 0-3 start to the season.
On offense, the Bengals have been hampered by problems with two of their top offensive weapons: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase held out for all of training camp in an effort to get his second contract. Though nothing new has been signed, Chase has broken his holdout and been practicing and playing with the team. Although Higgins has his own contract issues (playing this year on the Franchise Tag), he has also missed the first two games with a hamstring injury that finally seems resolved. As a result, the Bengals passing game should finally be at full strength for the first time this season.
On defense, the Bengals are lead by DE and DPOY candidate Trey Hendrickson, who had 17.5 sacks(!) in the 2023 season. The Bengals pass defense has allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFL through 2 weeks, but has allowed the 4th most rushing yards per game. Compounding this weakness against the run, Bengals starting DTs BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins are likely to miss Monday’s matchup due to injury. Hence, the weakness of the Bengals defense might align well to the strength of Washington’s offense in the run game.
I asked Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle five questions to better understand the state of the Bengals and what to look for in this game.
1) The Bengals have two star wide receivers in Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase who want a new contract, but the team hasn’t been able to get a deal done. Why do you think the team has been unable to get a deal done, what do you think will ultimately happen with their contracts, and what do you think has been the impact on the team so far from these contract disputes?
It’s a good problem to have in a way, right? Chase is a top-three wideout in the league and Higgins could be a No. 1 on many teams. For all of the historical flak the Bengals take for draft flops and some misconceptions about their frugality, the team has traditionally nailed drafting the wide receiver position.
The hope for the Bengals was always to keep both guys long-term. It became difficult when Burrow and Higgins, both from the 2020 class, became respective stars and then Chase followed. There have been mixed reports about the dealings with Higgins and his camp, but both parties settled on a short-term solution with the very outside chance something gets done next spring.
Chase and the Bengals were reportedly close to a deal right before the season, but the sticking points became guaranteed money and when those guarantees kick in (a bit of the same problem with Higgins, along with the daunting prospect of paying the triumvirate of Burrow, Chase AND Higgins to mega-deals). The prevailing thought was that Cincinnati would approach Chase next offseason with one year left on his deal, but the team actually approached Chase’s camp to try and get something done this year.
There is more optimism that Chase will get the long-term deal, but the longer the Bengals wait, the more they will likely have to pay—be it to keep up with the league’s trends, or another franchise tag situation. It isn’t as likely that Higgins gets the deal he’s seeking in Cincinnati, but we’ll see.
2) The Bengals have a history of playing well against the Chiefs and arguably looked like the better team on the field last week, despite the loss. Why do you think the Bengals match up so well to the consecutive Super Bowl winners?
Like it or not, Cincinnati matches up well against the Chiefs and it actually starts with their defense. Coordinator Lou Anarumo has concocted a plan that frustrates Patrick Mahomes, using a variety of three-men fronts with contain looks and a bunch of athletic defensive backs, as well as sprinkling in the occasional pressure situation to keep them on their toes.
Burrow makes timely throws on offense and their kicker, Evan McPherson, has been perfect against the Chiefs in five contests, save for one missed extra point last week. Throw in the fact that this rivalry has heightened to in-division levels, and the Bengals constantly play “up” for these games.
Ryan Meyer
3) The AFC North is a tough division with some of the best defenses in the NFL. What do you think is the outlook for the teams in your division and which team do you think is most likely to win the division this year?
It’s hard to say right now, as many pundits had both the Bengals and Ravens being on top of the division, in one form or another, and both sitting at 0-2 at the bottom of the heap. The Steelers are a scrappy 2-0, with the Browns being up-and-down in their first two contests.
In their two AFC Championship (and one Super Bowl) runs, Cincinnati overcame a 1-1 and 0-2 start, while also rebounding pretty well from another 0-2 start last year. So, the prevailing opinion has them bouncing back and being in the thick of the playoff race at the end of the season, if they remain healthy. The Ravens should bounce-back as well, and, despite their perceived roster deficiencies, the Steelers always remain relevant at the end of the year, too. The wild card is the Browns, but they are pretty talented, too, proving that anyone running away with this division is no easy task.
4) Who is one Bengals player on offense and one player on defense that Washington fans probably don’t know much about, but should?
On offense, keep an eye on Erick All, Jr., their rookie tight end. He was a fourth-round selection this year, but probably could have gone relatively early on Night 2, if he wasn’t coming back from a knee injury. All has shot back from that injury and keeps improving week-to-week. He’s a well-rounded tight end, who blocks well and is a fluid pass-catcher. The former skill set is a big asset for the Bengals’ offense, allowing them to play more “12 personnel”, which hasn’t been a staple in the Burrow era, but the goal has been to implement it.
On defense, edge defender Joseph Ossai is looking for that breakout game and year. He has solid skills as a pass-rusher, but injuries and inconsistency have plagued his career. Cincinnati is shorthanded up front, so he’ll likely be pressed into more action this week.
https://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/12799160/cincinnati-bengals-joseph-ossai-says-hes-got-to-be-better-after-costly-penalty-in-defeat-to-kansas-city-chiefs
5) How should Washington go about gameplanning this matchup on both sides of the ball?
I think if they can “play keep away” with the football from the Bengals’ offense, in the form of a solid run game that includes Jayden Daniels, that’s a good start. He’ll also need to be careful with the football, in general. Otherwise, using the talented IDL tandem Washington sports to exploit matchup problems could pay dividends.
Thanks again to Anthony Cosenza for taking time out of his day to answer our questions about the Bengals.