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    • Bengals vs Commanders raises major red flags in Cincinnati
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    Bengals vs Commanders raises major red flags in Cincinnati

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    For a few seconds it looked like the Cincinnati Bengals were unstoppable again.

    Quarterback Joe Burrow plus wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have always been a winning formula for the Bengals. Since the trio was assembled in 2021, their health has been everything the Bengals have needed to contend. The Bengals opened Monday’s game with a 41-yard deep ball for a touchdown from Burrow to Chase, and everything felt normal again for the Bengals.

    But as it turns out, there is a new normal at Paycor Stadium.

    “Frustrating,” said head coach Zac Taylor. “We didn’t picture ourselves in this position, but here we are. We’ve got to own it. We’ve got to take responsibility in every way.”

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    Bengals Wrap: Still Winless After MNF Loss to the Commanders

    The Cincinnati Bengals are still without a win after a 38-33 loss to the Commanders on Monday Night Football.

    When you chip away at a championship-caliber core, watch players age out of it, and don’t replace them in the draft, you become vulnerable. On Monday, when the Washington Commanders defeated the Bengals 38-33, Washington saw blood in the water.

    The final punch to the gut was a 27-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Jayden Daniels to wide receiver Terry McLaurin to Bengals cornerback Dax Hill, giving Washington a two-score lead with 2:10 left. The Bengals defense failed to muster a single meaningful stop the entire game.

    The Bengals scored a touchdown in the final minute to make it a one-score game. But it was too little, too late.

    “We’ve got to win these games,” Chase said. “I’ve never felt this way before. There’s a first time for everything.”

    The Bengals (0-3) aren’t a recognizable version of the team that has been among the NFL’s best since 2021.

    In 2021, the Bengals surprisingly defeated the Baltimore Ravens on the road, a game that announced the Bengals’ entry onto the national stage.

    Monday’s loss was a different kind of announcement. The opposite kind of announcement.

    Last season, Burrow was willing to risk a serious calf injury, defying owner Mike Brown’s wishes and playing in Week 3 when the Bengals picked up their first win. “There’s also the risk of not playing and being 0-3,” Burrow said that night.

    He’s healthy now, but Burrow’s actions in 2023 show the stakes of Monday’s loss.

    The 2024 Bengals are a flawed team. The offense should be fine, but Burrow hasn’t played to his MVP potential thus far. The run game has been inconsistent, and self-inflicted mistakes continue to plague the Bengals.

    The Bengals have perhaps the worst run defense in the NFL, and they lack a pass rush outside of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. The new veteran safeties haven’t fixed the defense, and cornerbacks Cam Taylor-Britt and Hill both allowed crucial deep receptions that changed the game.

    “Too many missed tackles early on,” Bengals safety Geno Stone said. “Too many plays that went to overtime. Too many third and controllable (downs) for them. We just have to find a way to get off the field.”

    Alarm bells are ringing about what this season and the title fight will look like for them.

    Bengals defense problems start at defensive line

    The Bengals thought they had a plan to replace star run stopper DJ Reader. They expected more pass rush from defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and decided to rely on rookies to stop the run.

    Kris Jenkins Jr. is injured and hasn’t made an impact yet. McKinnley Jackson hasn’t played yet. Zach Carter and Jay Tufele aren’t NFL-caliber contributors and three straight opponents have hurt them on the ground.

    Lawrence Guy, a 34-year veteran who lost his police contract this week, wasn’t the answer either.

    Defensive end Joseph Ossai was the most trouble-making run stopper on Monday. He allowed one touchdown run when he was thrown over at the line of scrimmage, and he allowed another when he followed the running back on a quarterback run.

    “It always starts with stopping the run,” Stone said. “They were crucial runs that they had. Something we can’t have.”

    Defensive end Sam Hubbard had his second mediocre game of the season, missing tackles and failing to provide the pass rushing power the Bengals crave.

    Until the Bengals are back to full strength, they won’t be able to stop the run or produce much of a pass rush outside of Hendrickson. And even when they are at full strength, it might not be much better than it is now.

    This year, the Bengals defense bends and breaks. The deep touchdown against Hill was the icing on the cake.

    “You hope the rush comes, but at the same time he made a good catch,” Hill said. “I contested it the best I could.”

    Joe Burrow Attack vs Commanders Not Enough

    The Bengals entered the red zone late in the second quarter. On second down, running back Zack Moss was wide open but didn’t make himself available for a potentially easy check down. Burrow had Chase wide open on third down and bounced his throw.

    “No game is easy,” Burrow said. “We’ve had our chances and not capitalized on them. That’s the common denominator of the first three weeks.”

    For the second straight week, a poor red zone offense cost the Bengals. Higgins’ return should have been the answer, especially against a poor Commanders defense. But as the Bengals moved the ball down the field, pressure up front and self-inflicted mistakes forced the Bengals to settle for field goals.

    There was miscommunication between Burrow and wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, a key sack, an offensive play that lacked power and the disheartening scene in the second quarter.

    The Bengals offense was solid on Monday, as Burrow racked up over 300 passing yards, but the offense just couldn’t make enough winning plays when it mattered.

    The Bengals offense had to keep up with Washington on a day when Cincinnati couldn’t buy a stop. In the red zone, the Bengals came up short.

    “We got stuck a couple of times in the first half and that was the bottom line,” Burrow said.

    Chances for Bengals to compete

    There are qualities that teams that participate in the battle have.

    Contending teams have no trouble getting the defensive personnel they want on the field in a goal-line situation — twice. Contending teams don’t allow 38 points.

    Contending teams don’t get stopped in the red zone by a defense that doesn’t have the angles to stop the New York Giants’ passing attack, let alone one with players as good as Burrow, Chase and Higgins. Contending teams don’t give up six points on special teams like the Bengals did Monday night.

    The Bengals’ season isn’t over yet. They were 1-3 last year and nearly made the playoffs. Two of their next three games are against the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants. But the Bengals have already lost to the New England Patriots and the Commanders this year.

    Nothing is certain for the 2024 Bengals.

    They’re missing Reader and Jessie Bates III. Hubbard, Vonn Bell and the linebackers aren’t as good as they were in previous seasons.

    The Bengals feel like a different team now than they did the previous three years.

    “You’ve got to embrace (being 0-3) and move forward,” Stone said. “Don’t dwell on last week. Focus on next week. Next week is Carolina. We’ve got to get ready to play. It’s a big game for us because it’s the next game, and you don’t want to be 0-4.”

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