Prime-time bust: Bengals fall to 0-3 with home loss to Commanders

Daniels’ breakout game came at the expense of the Bengals, who are now 0-3 heading into a short turnaround to Week 4 at Carolina. Cincinnati opened with a disappointing loss to New England, showed progress last week in a one-point loss to the Chiefs and then couldn’t get the job done in primetime at home.

Cincinnati’s offense wasn’t bad, but wasn’t efficient enough until Washington already had a two-score lead in the second half.

The Bengals got a crucial touchdown late in the third quarter when Andrei Iosivas barely crossed the plane on fourth-and-goal on a 2-yard pass from Joe Burrow to cut the Commanders’ lead to 28-20. Cincinnati’s defense got its first stop of the game to hold Washington to a field goal the next drive, and the Bengals responded with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase.

A two-point conversion pass, which would have made it a three-point game, failed despite Zac Taylor’s please for a defensive pass interference call on Jeremy Chinn, as he appeared to grab Tee Higgins early.

Cincinnati couldn’t get the stop necessary the next drive to give the offense a chance to complete the comeback. Germaine Pratt came inches away from recovering a fumble and a penalty on the Commanders and a sack for Trey Hendrickson pushed Washington back, but Daniels found ways to keep moving the chains. He eventually connected with Terry McLaurin on a 27-yard touchdown to seal it at 38-26, though the Bengals responded with touchdown drive capped by Zack Moss’ 1-yard run with 40 seconds left.

An onside kick didn’t produce the turnover Cincinnati hoped, and that ended the game.

The Bengals’ struggles started in the beginning of the second quarter. The next possession after Evan McPherson missed a 51-yard field goal, Cincinnati had a first-and-goal from the 8-yard line and still couldn’t get into the endzone.

Burrow was sacked on first down, right tackle Trent Brown went down with a right knee injury on the next play and Burrow’s third-down pass fell incomplete following an apparent mixup with Andrei Iosivas. McPherson made the 28-yard field goal to cut Washington’s lead to 14-10, but that drive might have been the game-changer.

Washington then responded with a six-play 75-yard touchdown drive that made Cincinnati’s defense look inept, as the Commanders extended their lead to 11 points with 2:04 left in the second quarter. Terry McLaurin’s 55-yard catch, on which he blew by Cam Taylor-Britt and quarterback Jayden Daniels had all day to get a pass off, set up an easy stroll into the endzone for Daniels from 4 yards out.

Burrow got the offense moving quickly with a chance to make it a three- or four-point game, but again the Bengals settled for a field goal after Chase dropped a third-down pass in the redzone. They went into halftime down 21-13 but the Commanders had the ball to start the second half and took advantage.

The hope of a stop the first drive of the second half was almost immediately erased when Cincinnati tried to squib the kickoff and gave up a 62-yard return to Austin Ekeler. Offensive tackle Trent Scott capped the short drive with a touchdown catch, after reporting as an eligible receiver, to emphasize the Bengals’ defensive struggles and make it a 28-13 lead.

Cincinnati had gotten off to a good start with Chase scoring on a 41-yard reception for his first touchdown of the season on the opening drive. Washington just made it continually look easier with rushing touchdowns from Brian Johnson and Ekeler on back-to-back drives to take the lead for good.

Burrow finished with a season-high 324 yards passing and three touchdowns, but Daniels outshined him while leading the Commanders to their second win of the season. He threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 39 yards.