Bengals grapple with another 0-2 start, face Commanders on MNF

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals will try to snap out of yet another early-season slump when they host the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football.”

For the third straight year, the Bengals (0-2) have started the season by dropping their first two games.

In 2022, they rebounded to win 14 of their next 16 games (including 10 straight) before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Championship, keeping them from appearing in a second straight Super Bowl.

Last week, the Bengals were on the verge of a road upset before defensive pass interference was called on rookie safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35. Four plays later, Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning 51-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Chiefs to a 26-25 win.

“I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated right now,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said. “I was frustrated on Sunday. That was a tough loss, but we’ve just got to go out and get a win. We’ve got to focus on getting better every day through our practice, and go out and execute when we have to execute on Monday. The rest will take care of itself.”

Burrow has completed 67.7 percent of his passes and has been sacked six times but has yet to throw an interception.

Burrow could get another passing weapon back for the game. Wide receiver Tee Higgins returned to practice Thursday after missing the first two games with a hamstring injury. He was a limited participant again on Friday and then declared he will play against Washington.

The Bengals have been hit hard with injuries on the defensive line, losing starters B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins to hamstring injuries last Sunday.

The Bengals have won six straight home prime-time games, including wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills.

Monday will also be a festive night in Cincinnati as Tim Krumrie, a nose tackle on the 1988 Super Bowl team, and the team’s all-time leading rusher Corey Dillon will be inducted into the club’s Ring of Honor at halftime.

The Commanders (1-1) enter Week 3 on a winning note after edging their NFC East rival New York Giants 21-18 on a last-second field goal, giving Dan Quinn his first win as head coach of the Commanders.

Washington’s offense is led by rookie quarterback and second overall draft pick Jayden Daniels, who is leading all rookies after two games with 132 rushing yards. Running bck Bucky Irving of Tampa Bay is next with 84. Daniels also leads all rookie quarterbacks in passing yardage with 410 yards through two games.

Daniels, in his first two career starts, has completed 40 of 53 pass attempts (75.5 percent) with a 97.2 passer rating.

“He’s a dynamic player. I really like his throwing motion,” said Burrow, who, like Daniels, won a Heisman Trophy while playing at LSU. “Seems like he can spin it and understands his fundamentals. I think he’s got a bright future. Obviously, he’s really fast and quick and dynamic. But I’m not sure he gets enough credit for the passer that he is.”

“It’s big for the whole state of Louisiana to see both of us go up against each other,” Daniels said.

Quinn has instilled a more aggressive defensive approach, bringing over his style and several players from his time as defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys.

“They’re a really good football team,” defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said of the Bengals. “When you have a quarterback like Joe Burrow and receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and the players that they have, it’s always going to be exciting to go against them.”

The two teams have never met on “Monday Night Football.”

–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

Packers hope Jordan Love can return to face Titans

The Green Bay Packers might get their starting quarterback back sooner than anticipated.

Jordan Love, who injured his knee Sept. 6 during the team’s season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil, practiced for three consecutive days with his left leg in a brace. He could return to the lineup Sunday when Green Bay travels to Nashville to meet the winless Tennessee Titans. The Packers listed Love as questionable on Friday and head coach Matt LaFleur said the team plans to give the decision “right up until game time.”

LaFleur said Love would be involved in the decision and the Packers are working through medical clearance protocol.

“There’s definitely a lot that’s up to him,” LaFleur said. “You don’t want to put somebody in that position. But he’s doing everything in his power. He wants to be out there more than anybody.”

Originally expected to miss 3-6 weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, Love practiced in a limited capacity with a compression sleeve on his leg Wednesday and a bulkier, metal-framed brace on Friday.

Making Love inactive because he’s not 100 percent would set up a matchup of backup Malik Willis opposing the franchise that drafted him in the third round in 2022. Traded to the Packers last month, Willis engineered last week’s 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts, hitting 12 of 14 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Willis also flashed his mobility, rushing for 41 yards on six carries, and he finished with a 126.8 passer rating — far above his career mark of 49.4 entering the game.

“Things happened,” Willis said of his new organization. “So I’m here now and grateful to coach (Matt LaFleur) and the GM and everybody who’s a part of this.”

Willis played in 11 games across parts of two seasons for Tennessee, completing 35 of 66 passes for 350 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. His time with the franchise was done from the moment coach Mike Vrabel made then-rookie Will Levis the starter last October.

Levis showed more than enough down the stretch, even though the Titans missed the playoffs, to earn the No. 1 job for this year. Now with his new team, Willis might be the quarterback tasked with getting the Packers to 2-1.

“I didn’t wake up thinking I was going to be traded,” he said after being dealt on Aug. 27. “So it definitely caught me by surprise. … It’s time to go.”

While Willis prepares in case he gets the start again, there is no question Levis is the guy in Tennessee. Still, first-year coach Brian Callahan wants to see Levis improve his decision-making, a problem area as the Titans started 0-2.

After tossing a game-changing pick-six in Tennessee’s season-opening loss at Chicago, Levis played better last week in the team’s second straight 24-17 defeat, this time to the New York Jets. He was 19 of 28 for 192 yards with a touchdown but also mixed in two turnovers.

One was an ill-advised lateral to Tony Pollard that turned a sack into a fumble that cost the Titans a chance to go up by two scores in the second quarter. The other was an interception that was cashed in for a tying touchdown just before halftime.

“I’m really pleased with how he played for the most part,” Callahan said of Levis. “I thought Will made a really nice improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.”

Look for Levis and Tennessee to get DeAndre Hopkins more involved in the passing game. Hopkins, a three-time All-Pro, caught a team-high 75 passes for 1,057 yards last year, his seventh 1,000-yard season, but has been limited to two grabs for 17 yards through this year’s first two games.

Tennessee running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) is questionable.

Green Bay ruled out tackle Jordan Morgan with an injury to the same shoulder he hurt in training camp.

Wide receiver Jayden Reed (calf) was removed from the injury report Friday after not practicing earlier in the week.

The Titans own an 8-6 lead in the all-time series with Green Bay, including a 3-0 mark in Nashville.

–Field Level Media