Bengals stumble to 0-3 start, but there's no panic — yet

CINCINNATI — There's no panic yet, but being 0-3 sure comes as a surprise to the Cincinnati Bengals when it seemed their playoff window was finally back open.

Quarterback Joe Burrow is healthy, but he was outdueled Monday night by Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, who was nearly flawless in throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

The 38-33 setback means the Bengals are off to their worst start since 2019, when they lost their first 11 games on the way to a 2-14 finish. That was the year before they drafted Burrow No. 1 overall.

“There’s 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, we’re 0-3. We play all six of those games coming up. We’re by no means out of it. Playoffs and winning the division is the furthest thing from my mind. We have got to get better this week.”

The 27-year-old quarterback had his best game of the season in the loss, going 29 for 38 for 324 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Ja'Marr Chase.

But the Bengals' defense allowed Daniels to have the best game of his young career. He completed 21 of 23 passes and set an NFL rookie record for completion percentage at 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,” Bengals safety Geno Stone said. “Anyone can beat anyone each week. We just have to put it together. We got it. Every game we’ve lost is a one-score game. It’s not like we’re not there.”

What's working

Burrow has the offense moving. The Bengals outgained Washington 436 yards to 356. The big issue was finishing. Three of Cincinnati's first-half drives stalled on Washington's side of the field, and the Bengals settled for a pair of field goals by Evan McPherson. Chase Brown and Zack Moss combined for 120 yards rushing.

What needs help

The absence of interior defensive linemen B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins because of hamstring injuries hurt the pass rush and the run defense. The Commanders' offensive line kept the pocket mostly clean for Daniels, who had plenty of time to find open receivers. Washington converted 5 of 9 third-down attempts and went 3 for 3 on fourth down.

“Very frustrating," Cincinnati cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt said. “They went on long drives the whole game.”

Stock up

Chase is finally getting back in sync with his quarterback after he sat out most of the preseason while seeking a new contract. He caught six of seven targets for 118 yards and looked great hauling in touchdown passes of 41 and 31 yards.

Stock down

Last week, Taylor-Britt said Daniels and Washington ran a “nice little college offense.” Then, of course, Daniels and his offense went out and smoked the Cincinnati secondary.

“I didn't mean anything malicious by the comment," Taylor-Britt said. "It was made bigger than that it was.”

Injuries

OT Trent Brown was carted off with a knee injury, and multiple outlets reported Tuesday that he suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon. The Bengals did not provide a specific update, but after the game, Taylor said, “It doesn't look good.”

Key number

4 — Number of teams since 1990 that advanced to the postseason after starting 0-3.

Next steps

Burrow and the offense will be fine, but the Bengals have some issues to address on defense. They play at Carolina (1-2) on Sunday. The Panthers beat the Raiders 36-22 last Sunday behind a big day from former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who replaced the ineffective Bryce Young.