There’s no reason to panic just yet, but the Cincinnati Bengals’ 0-3 start is certainly surprising, especially when it seemed like their chances for the playoffs were looking better.
Quarterback Joe Burrow is healthy, but he was outperformed on Monday night by Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, who had an outstanding game with 254 yards and two touchdown passes.
The 38-33 loss puts the Bengals at their worst start since 2019, when they lost their first 11 games and ended the season with a 2-14 record. That was the year before they selected Burrow as the first overall pick.
“There are going to be some big games down the stretch that we’re going to have to step up for,” Burrow said. “We haven’t played any division opponents yet.
The Steelers are 3-0, other teams are 1-2, and we’re 0-3. We have six division games coming up. We’re by no means out of it. Playoffs and winning the division is the furthest thing from my mind. We need to improve this week.”
The 27-year-old quarterback had his best performance of the season despite the loss, completing 29 of 38 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were to Ja’Marr Chase.
However, the Bengals’ defense struggled, allowing Daniels to have the best game of his young career. He completed 21 of 23 passes, setting an NFL rookie record with a completion percentage of 91.3%.
The Commanders scored on every possession except for kneel-downs at the end of each half.
“You know, it’s the NFL. Crazy things happen in this league,” said Bengals safety Geno Stone. “Anyone can beat anyone each week. We just have to put it together. We can do it. Every game we’ve lost has been by one score. It’s not like we’re far off.”
