Bengals Host Commanders for MNF - Week 3

We all know the statistics for teams that start the season 0-2 so I won't rehash it. Last week was a hard pill to swallow and I won't blame you if you have the same feelings about that game that a lot of NFL fans have expressed this week, that being that the NFL (refs) bailed out the Swifties. . .uhhh, I mean Chiefs at the end of the game.

Watching it, I felt like it was a bang-bang play where he got there at the same time as the ball. Slowed down, it was clear he got there just a bit early. It's not a great feeling having games hinge on plays like this, but, if you're looking for a silver lining, you showed that you can hang with the prohibitive Super Bowl favorite at their place. That could be something to lean on in January.

Commanders (1-1) @ Bengals (0-2)

Kickoff - 8:15p ABC

Line - Bengals -7 O/u 47.5

Series 5-5-1

Last Meeting - Washington Football Team 20-9 @ Landover, MD on 11/22/2020

0-2? No sweat, man, well, maybe a little

Yeah, most teams that start the season 0-2 go into panic mode, after all, since 2020 thirty-three teams have started the season 0-2. The good news is that the Bengals are one of two teams in that time span to buck the odds and make the playoffs (2023 Houston is the other). The bad news is that this may not be an annual thing, but it's happened five of the last six seasons putting the Bengals behind the proverbial 8-ball regarding the schedule.

With Joe Burrow under center and (hopefully) healthy, the receiving corps healthy for the first time this season, and the defense playing in the top third of the league (only two other 0-2 teams are top 1/3 in defense) you have to like their chances of turning the season around.

Higgins makes his season debut

After injuring his hamstring in the practices leading up to Week 1, Tee Higgins is healthy and ready to go for his (likely) last season in the Queen City.

"I feel great," Higgins said after Friday's practice. "Obviously, unfortunate with the injury, sat out the first two weeks but finally ready to get my feet wet this season and ready to go."

That's good news for the Bengals and QB Joe Burrow who has been playing with a makeshift lineup (excluding All-World receiver Ja'Marr Chase) for the first two weeks.

Bits and Baubles

Bengals - Monday night's game is the first of five Prime Time games for the Bengals this season, the other four are Weeks 6, 10, 14, and 16. The last time the Bengals and Washington met, Joe Burrow was lost for the season during his rookie year.

Commanders - Commanders' RB Brian Robinson Jr ran for a career-high 133 yards in last week's win over the Giants. This will be a matchup of LSU Heisman Trophy winners with Washington QB Jayden Daniels winning last season and Joe Burrow taking the trophy home during LSU's 2019 National Title season.

Injury Report

Bengals

Kris Jenkins Jr. - DT - Questionable (Thumb)

B.J. Hill - DT - Questionable (Hamstring)

Sheldon Rankins - DT - Questionable (Hamstring)

Tanner Hudson - TE - Questionable (Knee)

Vonn Bell - S - Questionable (Back))

Commanders

Clelin Ferrell - DE - OUT (Knee)

Jer'Zhan Newton - DT - Questionable (Undisclosed)

Benjamin St-Juste - CB - Questionable (Undisclosed)

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. - CB - Questionable (Undisclosed)

Fantasy Advice

If you've been leaning on Andrei Iosivas this season, you might give him the week off, with Tee Higgins return I feel they're going to want him "in the game" and he'll see a higher than average target share this week. I hesitate to say it's this week, but you have to think that Chase Brown takes over as the lead back soon, he out-paced Zach Moss last week on a third of the carries.

This feels like a week where former Buckeye Terry Maclaurin shows up and is "Scary" Terry. Brian Robinson Jr. set a career-high last week and as balanced as the Commanders' offense has been you would think they'd like to keep that rolling. If you have a keeper league and selected Jayden Daniels, you might be stashing him for next year and beyond, he'll have some games this season that make you think about making him your starter though.

Prediction

Bengals 28-15