Jayden Daniels' big game lifts Washington Commanders to upset ...

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The Cincinnati Bengals dropped to 0-3 to begin the 2024 season after a stunning 38-33 upset at the hands of the Washington Commanders.

The Bengals entered their Week 3 home matchup expected to defeat a Commanders squad that had issues on defense against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants to open the season.

Instead, it was Cincinnati's defense that faltered. The Bengals were unable to stop the Jayden Daniels-led Washington offense throughout their matchup, as the Commanders racked up 356 yards and scored touchdowns on all three of their red-zone possessions.

Daniels ended his day with more total touchdowns (three) than incompletions (two). He led Washington in both passing yards (254) and rushing yards (39) while completing 91 percent of his passes, which set a rookie record.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals were also able to move the ball throughout the Monday night clash. They simply weren't as efficient in the red zone, as they were just 2-for-4 in scoring touchdowns. That, plus an early missed field goal by Evan McPherson, put the Bengals behind, and they weren't able to recover.

The Cincinnati and Washington offenses combined to achieve something not seen at the NFL level since 1940: neither team punted during the game and neither turned the ball over.

So, while both teams have plenty to be pleased with on offense, each needs to go back to the drawing board on defense ahead of Week 4.

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The Bengals could not recover an onside kick at the end of regulation, icing their game against the Commanders and marking Cincinnati's third consecutive loss to begin the season.

Washington dominated Cincinnati throughout the contest, scoring on six of its eight drives, with the only two exceptions being kneel-downs at the end of each half. Jayden Daniels set a rookie record by completing 91 percent of his passes and was the driving force in the Commanders' second consecutive victory.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense also performed well, but they have nothing to show for it. They head into their Week 4 matchup with the Carolina Panthers even more desperate to get their first win of the season.

Moss scored his first touchdown of the game after a pass interference penalty put the Bengals on the 1-yard line. 

The Bengals kicked the extra point to cut the Commanders' lead to 38-33, but just 40 second remain in regulation. Cincinnati will need to recover an onside kick to stay alive against Washington.

The Commanders had a difficult time getting lined up on third-and-7, but Jayden Daniels saw Terry McLaurin win quickly beyond the sticks in one-on-one coverage. The rookie quarterback threw a perfect deep ball to his top wide out and McLaurin brought it down for the score.

Austin Seibert made the extra point to put the Bengals down 12 points, officially making this a two-touchdown game with 2:10 left to play.

The Bengals appeared to have a golden opportunity to get the Commanders off the field, as Washington faced a second-and-21 after a false start penalty and a Trey Hendrickson sacks.

Instead, the Commanders executed back-to-back screen passes to Dyami Brown to set up a fourth-and-4. Rather than punt or try a 56-yard field goal, Dan Quinn opted to go for it. Jayden Daniels found tight end Zach Ertz for a 9-yard gain and a drive-extending first down.

The Bengals responded quickly to Washington's field-goal drive. It took them just 1:48 to go 70 yards, with the fifth and final play being a 31-yard bomb to Ja'Marr Chase for his second score of the game.

The Bengals went for two, but Joe Burrow couldn't connect with Tee Higgins. The Cincinnati crowd wanted a flag for pass interference, but the officials declined to penalize the Commanders for getting to the receiver a beat early.

The Bengals finally managed to stop Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense, but not before Washington into field goal range. Austin Seibert, who made seven field goals in his Week 2 Commanders debut, drilled the kick from 42 yards to give Washington a two-possession lead.

Austin Ekeler suffered a head injury on the Commanders' touchdown drive to open the second half. He has now been ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion.

The first three quarters of this game have passed without a punt. Both offenses are playing well, but the Commanders have simply been more efficient, converting on all three of their red-zone opportunities while the Bengals are just 1-for-3 on theirs.

The Bengals defense hasn't been able to stop Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense at all yet. If they can't come up with at least one stop or a turnover, they'll fall to 0-3 on the season.

Joe Burrow slightly overthrew Tee Higgins on a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, but he didn't misfire on fourth-and-goal. He found Andrei Iosivas working toward the outside pylon and the second-year receiver managed to catch the ball and break the plane just before Noah Igbinoghene could stop his progress.

Evan McPherson snuck the extra point inside the right upright to make it a 28-20 Commanders lead.

Austin Ekeler has been a spark for the Commanders tonight, but he left their latest touchdown drive after appearing to get banged up. He was treated on the sidelines before being taken to the locker room with what the broadcast described as a "possible concussion."

The Commanders dialed up a trick play from the 1-yard line, as Jayden Daniels faked a handoff to Brian Robinson Jr. before bootlegging out and finding Trent Scott wide open in the end zone.

Austin Seibert makes the extra point to extend the Washington lead to 28-13.

The Commanders started the second half with a bang, as Austin Ekeler fielded the opening kickoff inside his 5-yard line and took it to Cincinnati's 34-yard line. Washington will begin the half already on the edge of field goal range.

The Commanders played an excellent half on the road against the Bengals. They scored touchdowns on all three of their drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half, and had three players run for a touchdown: Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jayden Daniels.

Cincinnati is actually outgaining Washington 236-205, but the Bengals haven't had much success in the red-zone. Their only touchdown came on a 41-yard strike from Joe Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase, but their three other drives ended in field goal attempts (two makes, one miss).

Washington will get the ball to start the second half and will get a chance to build on its 8-point halftime lead.

Cincinnati stalled out in the red-zone once again after marching 57 yards on nine plays. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase just missed connecting for a first-down on a third-and-6 so Zac Taylor called on Evan McPherson to finish the drive.

McPherson made his 31-yard field goal to cut Washington's lead to 21-13.

Daniels and McLaurin didn't connect much in their first two games of the season. They finally hooked up for a big play against the Bengals, with McLaurin splitting a double team and setting up a first-and-goal opportunity.

Daniels followed that up with a 4-yard touchdown run to put the Commanders up 21-10.

McPherson missed his first attempt from 48-yards, but he bounced back with a 28-yard chip shot to cut Washington's lead to four.

The Bengals continue to move the ball well, but the Commanders played well in coverage in the red-zone to force the field goal attempt.

The Commanders find the end zone for the second time in as many drives, as Ekeler found a seem on the left side and burst through it for a score.

Ekeler has enjoyed a fast start to the game, totaling 54 yards and the touchdown on four touches. His score has the Commanders up 14-7 in the second quarter.

Jayden Daniels fired a low, second-and-10 pass to Brown, and the veteran wide-out put together a nice, diving effort to bring it in. He managed to get his arms undered the nose of the ball and bring it in to get Washington near field goal range.

The Bengals stalled out after Tee Higgins' catch and had to settle for a 48-yard field goal attempt. Evan McPherson missed the kick wide left, breaking a streak of 29 consecutive makes from inside of 50 for the third-year kicker.

Washington will get the ball back with a chance to take a lead for the first time.

The Bengals and Commanders are both playing well on offense to start their "Monday Night Football" matchup. Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels combined to complete 11 of 12 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in the first 15 minutes.

Neither defense has shown much resistance thus far, so this could end up being a high-scoring affair, just as many expected.

After missing the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury, Tee Higgins returned to the Bengals lineup against the Commanders. He made his first catch of the year on Cincinnati's second drive. He took it 14 yards for a first down and bounced off a tackle with his big-bodied frame.

For those wondering, yes: Luke McCaffrey is Christian McCaffrey's younger brother. Luke was a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of Rice and has worked his way into Washington's receiver rotation during his rookie season.

The younger McCaffrey began his career college career at Nebraska in 2019. He was first a quarterback but eventually converted to wide receiver to bolster his chances of making it into the NFL.

The Commanders drove the length of the field on their first drive as well before running back Brian Robinson punched in a touchdown from the 1-yard line.

Robinson's TD was set up by a terrific pass from Jayden Daniels to Luke McCaffrey on a fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 32-yard line. McCaffrey caught the ball for the first down and took it all the way down to the 2-yard line before he was shoved out of bounds.

The Commanders are moving the ball well on their first drive against the Bengals, and Ekeler is a big part of the offense. He impressed on his third touch of the game, when he caught a screen pass in the backfield and managed to turn it into a 14-yard gain and a first down despite it looking like he would be brought down in the backfield for a loss.

The Bengals got off to a fast start on "Monday Night Football." Burrow looked deep to Chase after Cincinnati methodically moved the ball downfield, and he easily connected with his college teammate.

Chase had two catches for 42 yards and the score on the first drive.

• Date: Monday, Sept. 23, 2024
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

The Commanders vs. Bengals game will wrap up the first "Monday Night Football" doubleheader of the 2024 NFL season at 8:15 p.m. ET.

The Bills and Jaguars will also be playing Monday night, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30.

• TV: ABC
• Live stream: ESPN+

The second game of the doubleheader between Washington Commanders vs. Cincinnati Bengals will be broadcast on ABC.

Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentary), and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) will be on the call for ABC's broadcast.

The Bengals get back wide receiver Tee Higgins for their matchup vs. the Commanders, a major boost to their receiving corps.

Here's the list of inactives vs. Washington:

The Commanders are still awaiting the return of Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, who is dealing with a thumb injury. Here's the list of Commanders inactive players vs. Cincinnati:

Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for the second “Monday Night Football” Week 3 matchup:

• Lorenzo Reyes: Bengals 30, Commanders 13
• Tyler Dragon: Bengals 26, Commanders 20
• Richard Morin: Bengals 27, Commanders 20
• Jordan Mendoza: Bengals 22, Commanders 15

Robert Griffin III holds the current record for most rushing yards in a rookie season by a quarterback. He accomplished this in 2012 with Washington, earning the honors of Offensive Rookie of the Year. RGIII had 120 rush attempts, leading the NFL with 6.8 yards per rush. Jayden Daniels is on pace for over 220 rush attempts and over 1,100 rushing yards. That would exceed Lamar Jackson's 147 rushing attempts for the most in a rookie season. 

• Robert Griffin III (Washington, 2012): 815 rush yards 
• Cam Newton (Carolina, 2011): 706 rush yards 
• Lamar Jackson (Baltimore, 2018): 695 rush yards 
• Josh Allen (Buffalo, 2018): 631 rush yards 
• Vince Young (Tennessee, 2006): 552 rush yards 
• Kyler Murray (Arizona, 2019): 544 rush yards 
• Billy Kilmer (San Francisco, 1961): 509 rush yards 
• Russell Wilson (Seattle, 2012): 489 rush yards 
• Justin Fields (Chicago, 2021): 420 rush yards 

Higgins is expected to make his season debut against the Commanders on "Monday Night Football." He missed the first two weeks of the season while dealing with a hamstring injury, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor indicated the veteran wideout would be at 100 percent for Monday's game.

Higgins recorded 42 catches, 646 yards and five touchdowns for the Bengals in 12 games last season. He missed five games because of rib and hamstring injuries.

Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position? 

We have a complete list at every position:  

The Bengals are the only winless team in the AFC North, but a win on Sunday Night Football against the Commanders can create a three-way tie for second. The Steelers are off to a surprising start, joining the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Vikings as the only undefeated team through three weeks.

Steelers 3-0

Ravens 1-2

Browns 1-2

Bengals 0-2

With a win on Sunday Night Football, the Commanders can tie the Eagles for first place in the division. The Cowboys have disappointed, losing two in a row at home against the Saints and Ravens.

Eagles 2-1

Commanders 1-1

Giants 1-1

Cowboys 1-2

The weather could affect the Bengals' game against the Commanders early on. The temperature should be perfect, in the 70s during game time. However, there is a chance of rain and thunderstorms from 6-8 p.m. in the area of Paycor Stadium.

According to the Weather Channel, winds will max out at 5 mph, but there is a chance of storms early.

The Commanders-Bengals game features something NFL fans haven't seen in decades: a matchup between two former LSU quarterbacks. Cincinnati's Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and national championship with the Tigers in 2019. Washington rookie Jayden Daniels won the Heisman in 2023 before going No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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The NFL's top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league's highest-paid player on Sunday morning, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason.  

The Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders were dining in style ahead of their Monday Night Football game at Paycor Stadium. 

Several Bengals and Commanders players, including quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, visited a Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse Sunday night, according to an X post from the local restaurateur. The Bengals and Commanders coaching staff, owners, general managers, retired players, and the ESPN broadcast team also dined at the local steakhouse, per Ruby's post. 

Ruby did not specify the locations the teams visited or whether they were dining together or separately. 

"As a restaurateur, it’s gratifying to have both the Commanders and Bengals dine with us tonight," Ruby wrote. "Thank you all. Our guests enjoyed seeing you." 

The Bengals are favorites to defeat the Commanders, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code. 

• Spread: Bengals (-7.5) 
• Moneyline: Cincinnati (-375); Washington (+290) 
• Over/under: 47 

Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds and Monday Night Football odds. 

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OUT 

• DE Clelin Ferrell (knee) 

QUESTIONABLE 

• CB Emmanuel Forbes (thumb) 

OUT 

• TE Tanner Hudson 
• DT Sheldon Rankins 

DOUBTFUL 

• DT B.J. Hill 

QUESTIONABLE 

• S Vonn Bell 
• DT Kris Jenkins 

These teams first played each other in the 1970 NFL season, with Washington winning 20-0. They've played 11 games total against each other, with a perfect split of 5-5-1.  

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