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The Cincinnati Bengals fell to 0-3 on Monday night following a 38-33 loss (at home, no less — their second of the season after falling to the New England Patriots in Week 1) to rookie QB Jayden Daniels and the surprising Washington Commanders.
The Commanders have been one of the surprises of the NFL season thus far, as they’re not only 2-1 to begin the 2024 campaign — tied with the Eagles for first in the NFC East — but they’re also remarkably efficient on offense, as they’ve become to the first team in the Super Bowl era to play in two consecutive games without a punt or a turnover.
Jayden Daniels, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, has also put himself in prime position to win Rookie of the Year in these early stages of the season.
Due to the Commanders’ offensive efficiency and the Bengals’ defensive porousness, the Monday Night Football bout between the pair was the first game since 1940 to not feature a punt or a turnover on *either* side of the ball.
While it’s the same stat for both teams, it’s interesting how it likely makes each team feel, as it’s representative of the Commanders seemingly having a capable offense for the first time in forever, but also a sign that the Cincinnati Bengals championship window may be closed.
https://t.co/MbagtDtHgb pic.twitter.com/0jxsQ9B48c
— Eric Italiano (@eric_ital) September 24, 2024
The Commanders will look to continue their feisty start to the 2024 season on Sunday when they travel west to take on Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.
As for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, the schedule gods have handed them a gift as they’ll be heading down to Carolina to take on the Panthers, among the worst teams in the NFL in recent seasons, in Week 4. The Panthers, however, did look much improved with Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback in their Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
With the Bengals in a must-win spot and the Panthers likely feeling relieved of the pressure of going winless, look for Cincy to potentially win in a blowout.