The Cincinnati Bengals sit at 0-2 yet again. It’s an uncomfortably familiar position. But on Monday Night Football they have a great chance to get into the win column. The Washington Commanders enter the contest at Paycor Stadium 1-1. They fell to the Buccaneers in week one 37-20. In week two they edged the New York Giants 21-18.
Washinton is banking on big things from quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels is one of a handful of rookies starting in their first year out of college. He joins the ranks of Caleb Williams in Chicago and Bo Nix in Denver. Although Daniels has shown plenty of promise he’s not yet faced a pass defense of the Bengals’ caliber. And the rest of the Commanders team has plenty of holes for Zac Taylor to exploit in order to find the team’s first win.
The Bengals Will Force Jayden Daniels to Beat Them Through the Air – And He Will Not
Coming into week two, Jayden Daniels ranks second in quarterback rushing yards with 132. He trailed only Lamar Jackson, and also has reached the end zone twice. In the air, though, his numbers are somewhat more pedestrian. He does rank 10th in yards per attempt and has completed 75 percent of his passes. However, he relies heavily on his receivers to make plays and shake tackles. The Commanders’ wideouts collectively rank 4th in the NFL in yards-after-catch-per-reception, and the Commanders are tied for 6th in receptions of 20+ yards.
Last week Cincinnati held Patrick Mahomes to the lowest passing total of his career in a game that he played from start to finish. They tackled well and covered even better. It’s safe to say that Daniels hasn’t yet seen a secondary with the ability that the Bengals have to lock down a passing game.
However, running quarterbacks have given the Bengals fits in the past. In week one Jacoby Brissett evaded Cincinnati’s defenders for just enough yards to get a few key first downs. And we’ve all seen the headache Lamar Jackson has been for Bengals linebackers scrambling for big gains over the years. Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt are having a great year so far. They are gobbling up tackles and flying all over the field. On Monday night, though, they will no doubt be asked to spy Daniels and keep him in the pocket. They should be able to do that and frustrate the rookie quarterback. Forcing Daniels to fight through the teeth of a very hungry Bengals’ secondary is a recipe for success.
Another reason to force Daniels to remain in the pocket is that it makes him prime fodder for a red-hot Trey Hendrickson. Going into this game Hendrickson has pressured the quarterback on 22 percent of all drop backs this year, near the top of the league. But he cannot be as effective if Daniels is allowed to break the pocket and scramble. He and the other Bengals pass-rushers must be extremely disciplined in their rush lanes.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals Offense Will Continue Their Momentum from Last Week
The Commanders have significant deficits on defense that Joe Burrow can exploit. They rank 21st in total yards allowed, 22nd in passing yards allowed, and 29th in points per game. Most notably their secondary has had plenty of issues. They’ve allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a league worst rating of 127.6. This is all very good news for a Bengals offense likely getting Tee Higgins back. And with Joe Burrow heating up, and getting fired up after that narrow loss last week, he’s going to look to take it right to the Commanders’ defensive backs.
Jermaine Burton and Mike Gesicki have shown they can be weapons in the passing game. But with the return of Tee Higgins and another week of progress for Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals passing attack should begin to fire on all cylinders this week. Lest we forget, Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns against this same Commanders team in week one. Burrow has more talent and weapons at his disposal and should be able to put up an equal, or even better, performance this week.
The Bengals’ Veterans Will Not Let This Team Start 0-3
Although it’s not quantifiable statistically, it is a fact that Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, Trey Hendrickson, and the other Bengals veterans will simply not allow this team to fall flat on a national stage yet again. With the entire nation watching and the team as healthy as it has been this year, the Bengals will step up in a big way. There is no doubt they’ve seen that the Steelers are undefeated. They saw the Ravens get their first win on the road in Dallas. They know that this division will be a bare-knuckled fight and that they are behind the eight ball already with two losses. Zac Taylor and the leaders on this team will not let two losses spiral into three. This team will show up ready to win on Monday night, and they will take care of business.
Cover photo credit here.
