Week 3 - Washington Commanders (1-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: September 23, 2024
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
How to Watch: ABC
Matchup History: All-time series is tied 5-5-1
Last Meeting: Washington def. Cincinnati 20-9 on 11/22/20
Betting Lines: Via DraftKings
Spread: Washington +7.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Prediction: Washington 16, Cincinnati 26
Official Game Notes: HERE
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Head Coach: Dan Quinn (1st season, 1-1 record in Washington)
Record: 1-1 (0-0, T-2nd in NFC East)
Last Time Out: Won vs. New York Giants 21-18 on 9/15/24
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Jayden Daniels
The Washington Commanders head to Cincinnati for Monday Night Football with a 1-1 record following a win over the New York Giants in Week 2.
The Commanders had seven possessions (if you eliminate the kneel down at the end of the first half). In those seven possessions, they moved the ball down the field and ended each drive with a field goal, including the game-winner by Austin Seibert, who went 7/7 on the day just five days after being signed to the team.
The Giants, meanwhile, lost kicker Graham Gano during the game to a hamstring injury, which led to them being forced to go for it on multiple 4th downs and 2 point conversions, which otherwise could have won them the game if Gano was healthy.
Of Seibert’s seven field goals, six were from 33 yards or less, including four from inside 30 yards, with the longest coming from 45. Rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels was consistently navigating his team into the red zone before coming up short. That won’t be enough to beat the Bengals as a 7.5 point underdog on Monday night.
Daniels finished the game 23/29 passing for 226 yards to go along with 44 yards on the ground. Second-year running back Brian Robinson carried the ball 17 times while racking up 133 yards.
Again, the Giants likely would have won the game with a healthy kicker simply because the Commanders were stalling in the red zone.
With that said, Daniels has looked the best of the rookie quarterbacks by a country mile through two weeks. Now, he has a chance to put on a show in primetime against a desperate Bengals team in a hostile environment.
Head Coach: Zac Taylor (6th season, 37-46-1 record in Cincinnati)
Record: 0-2 (0-0, T-3rd in AFC North)
Last Time Out: Lost @ Kansas City 26-25 on 9/15/24
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Joe Burrow
For some reason, under Zac Taylor, the Bengals seem to always get off to slow starts.
Following a disappointing one point loss in Kansas City this past week, the Bengals are now 1-11 under Zac Taylor all-time in Week’s 1 and 2. For a team that has been to the Super Bowl in the last three years and two AFC Championship games in that span, that is a shocking fact.
In Week 1, the Bengals were the league’s largest favorite in a home game against New England. The Bengals needed four drives just to get a first down and didn’t score until the sixth drive of the game.
By that point, it was done and dusted, as Cincinnati struggled against the run all day and fell to the Patriots 16-10.
Last week, they were much better against the defending Super Bowl champions. The Bengals led most of the way, won time of possession, had more yards, was better on third down and won the turnover battle 3-1. Yet, at the end, they couldn’t hold on for the win, falling on a last-second Harrison Butker field goal from 51 yards.
Now, Cincinnati, one of the proverbial AFC juggernauts, is 0-2 and coming home for a primetime Monday Night Football game against the Commanders. The Bengals will be desperate and will be playing angry.
Let’s see how the two former LSU quarterbacks fare in what is a huge game for both.
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