Commanders vs. Bengals final score, results: Jayden Daniels wins battle of LSU QBs, dominates Joe Burrow in Cincinnati

Sarah Effress

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Commanders vs. Bengals final score, results: Jayden Daniels wins battle of LSU QBs, dominates Joe Burrow in Cincinnati image

Two LSU products went head-to-head Monday night when Joe Burrow's Bengals took on Jayden Daniels' Commanders in Cincinnati. The result was an offensive slugfest, ending as the first NFL game without a punt since 1940.

Both quarterbacks have more in common than just their Baton Rouge ties. Each won a Heisman Trophy as a Tiger and each lost their respective rookie debuts in the NFL. Though Burrow has a National Championship on Daniels, the Washington quarterback has something his counterpart does not: a win this season, including one at Paycor Stadium over the Bengals on Monday night, 38-33.

The Commanders didn't begin on the right foot despite the win. Burrow came out swinging, spearheading a six-play, 71-yard drive ending in a touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase to go up a score early. Daniels returned the favor with a touchdown drive of his own, resulting in Brian Robinson Jr. punching it in. 

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Cincinnati came close to scoring on the next drive, marching all the way to Washington's 30 before the Commanders pulled out a stop. Evan McPherson then missed a 48-yard field goal, giving Daniels the chance to take the lead. He did just that, responding with an effort that finished with a 24-yard rushing score from Austin Ekeler.

After that, the Bengals wouldn't come within five points of Washington for the rest of the game. Daniels finally notched his first passing touchdown, scoring a memorable one to offensive tackle Trent Scott to kick off the second half. He would tack on one more to Terry McLaurin before time ran out, finishing the game with a stunning 254 yards on 21-of-23 passing.

Daniels also punched in a score on the ground in addition to his two in the air, and his 91-percent completion rate by the end of the game is one of the best single-game performances by a rookie in NFL history. The Bengals allowed the most points in a home loss since Week 9 of 2021 when they lost to the Browns 41-16. Cincinnati is now 0-3 to start a season for the first time in five years.

The Sporting News has you covered with everything you need to know about Commanders vs. Bengals, including live score, updates, and highlights from the NFL's "Monday Night Football" game.

Commanders vs. Bengals score

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Commanders71471038
Bengals7671433

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Who won Commanders vs. Bengals on Monday Night Football?

(All times Eastern)

Final: Commanders 38, Bengals 33

11:02 p.m. — McPherson attempts an onside kick which is quickly recovered by Washington, however there is a flag thrown on the play. It goes against Cincinnati for an illegal formation, giving Washington possession to end the game. Daniels kneels to run out the clock and takes down his LSU counterpart in Cincinnati, sending the Bengals down to 0-3.

Commanders 38, Bengals 33

11 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN BENGALS! Moss walks it in for a 1-yard score, ending a 1:30 drive to bring Cincinnati within five after McPherson hits the extra point. There are 40 seconds remaining before time runs out for the Bengals to recover an onside kick and find a score.

10:58 p.m. — Burrow takes a shot at Iosivas in the end zone, and while he is unable to bring it in he's fouled by Igbinoghene for pass interference, propelling the Bengals to the one. The quarterback tries Higgins again in the end zone on the next play but he's unable to bring it in.

10:56 p.m. — Burrow tries to find Higgins around the 1-yard line but the receiver is unable to pull it in. Then, Iosivas makes a 13-yard reception with a beautiful toe tap before being run out of bounds at the Washington 19. 

10:53 p.m. — Burrow finds Moss out of the break for 13 yards to the Bengals 42, finding the running back again on the next play for no gain. The quarterback then finds Iosivas at the Washington 32 for 13 more yards and a 1st down before Cincinnati takes its second timeout with 1:05 remaining.

10:50 p.m. — Washington's drive took over half the fourth quarter, leaving the Bengals with little time to engineer a comeback. Seibert's kickoff goes for a touchback and Burrow begins the drive with a 12-yard pass to Gesicki before the two minute warning.

Commanders 38, Bengals 26

10:46 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS! Daniels finds McLaurin in the end zone, who makes the catch before sliding out of bounds. Seibert's extra point is good, effectively sealing the deal for Washington, which now has a 12-point lead with 2:10 remaining in regulation.

10:44 p.m. — Here's another look at the controversial no-call on Higgins attempted 2-point conversion catch:

10:42 p.m. — Robinson takes a handoff for one yard with just under three minutes to go, and the Commanders have taken over six minutes off the clock with this drive. Robinson takes another carry for two to set up 3rd & 7 at the Cincinnati 27. Washington then uses its final timeout with 2:15 remaining in the game.

10:40 p.m. — Brown makes a short reception before running for eight and being obliterated by Stone, setting up 3rd & 13. Daniels then hits Brown again, but he can't find the marker. Going for it on 4th down from the Cincinnati 39, Daniels finds Ertz for nine and the 1st down to keep the drive alive.

10:39 p.m. — Daniels finds McLaurin for a 4-yard gain and a 1st down at the Bengals 45. The next play, Brown is penalized for a false start, setting Washington back five yards to the halfway line. Unfortunately, Daniels is sacked by Hendrickson for another loss of five, setting the Commanders back to their own 45 for 2nd & Long.

10:37 p.m. — Daniels finds Ertz again for a gain of 12 and a 1st down on the next play, then Robinson takes a carry for six. Daniels then runs it himself for two before he is pushed out of bounds to set up 3rd & 2 at the Cincinnati 49.

10:35 p.m. — Washington receives it at the 30 after a touchback, then Ertz is penalized for a false start, setting the Commanders back five. Then, Daniels finds Ertz short up the middle for a 4-yard gain before the tight end fumbles then recovers it at the Washington 31.

Commanders 31, Bengals 26

10:31 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN CINCINNATI! Burrow finds Chase for his second scoring catch of the game, a 31-yard reception. The Bengals elect to go for two to try and shave the lead to three, but Burrow misses Higgins in the end zone who is well covered—however, it did appear he could have been interfered with, but the officials did not throw a flag. Cincinnati has 9:42 left to complete the comeback, needing five points to tie.

10:30 p.m. — The Bengals are moving fast, with two plays off no huddle and Burrow completing passes to both Iosivas and Gesicki for a combined 27 yards and two 1st downs.

10:28 p.m. — Seibert kicks it off to the Cincinnati three, and Brown returns it for 27 yards to where the Bengals would have started with a touchback. Moss takes the first carry for five yards before being pushed out of bounds, then Burrow finds Gesicki up the middle for seven more and a fresh set of downs on the Bengals 42.

Commanders 31, Bengals 20

10:26 p.m. — FIELD GOAL COMMANDERS. Seibert hits a 42-yard kick to re-extend Washington's lead to 11 with 11:30 for Burrow & Co. to engineer a comeback. Daniels is 14-of-16 on the night so far with 182 passing yards, but his Bengals counterpart leads him with 208 yards and 20 completions.

10:25 p.m. — Daniels finds Robinson to his right, who catches it then runs for a 4-yard gain to the Bengals 24. Then, the quarterback misses McLaurin on the left sideline of the end zone bringing up 4th down.

10:23 p.m. — Quinn elects to go for it, and Daniels takes it himself for four yards and a 1st down. The quarterback now has the most rushing 1st downs in the entire league for the position. Robinson takes the next handoff up the middle for a gain of 1, setting uo 2nd & 9 at the Cincinnati 28.

10:21 p.m. — Daniels scrambles up the middle for five to begin the quarter before he finds McCaffrey on the sideline for three more, just short of the 1st down. It's 4th & 1 for the Commanders at the Cincinnati 33, but Washington takes its second timeout as there's confusion up front with 13:35 remaining in the quarter. 

10:20 p.m. — Unfortunately, Ekeler has been downgraded to OUT for the remainder of the contest with a concussion. If the Commanders lose, this could be a major reason. 

End of third quarter: Commanders 28, Bengals 20

10:17 p.m. — McNichols takes a handoff for one yard as the clock winds down to end the third frame. Washington continues to lead by eight, and there has yet to be a punt in this game so far.

10:15 p.m. — Daniels finds Ertz along the sideline just short of the 1st down marker to set up 3rd & Short at the Cincinnati 47. Then, Daniels takes it himself for another first down, sliding past Ossai, equaling Lamar Jackson for 15 first down runs on the season.

10:13 p.m — McPherson kicks it off for a touchback, and the Commanders start off with a 14-yard gain on a catch by McLaurin to the Washington 44. Robinson then takes a carry right for no gain, taken down by Davis-Gaither at the line of scrimmage.

Commanders 28, Bengals 20

10:10 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN BENGALS! Burrow & Co. fight back with a 6:51 drive for 78 yards, ending in a 2-yard scoring catch by Iosivas. Cincinnati is penalized for false start on the extra point, but McPherson still hits the extra point despite the 5-yard skid. Washington now leads by eight, and it's a one score game with 3:03 in the third.

10:09 p.m. — Higgins stretches out for a high catch in the back of the end zone, but he comes down on his back out of bounds, unable to get his feet down. It's now 4th & Goal, and the Bengals will go for it.

10:07 p.m. — Burrow powers the Bengals even closer, completing a pass to Chase who fights his way to the two. Washington then takes its first timeout of the half with 3:12 in the quarter and 3rd & Goal for Cincinnati.

10:05 p.m. — Brown takes a carry up the right side before being pushed out of bounds at the eight for 1st & Goal. However, Moss is brought down by Igbinoghene and Netwon for a loss of two in the backfield on the next play. 

10:04 p.m. — Moss takes a handoff for six off a good block by All, then Burrow passes it to the running back for another 11-yard gain to set up 1st down at the 20.

10:02 p.m. — Boos are out in Cincinnati as the home fans jeer their own team. Burrow tries to shut them down with a 7-yard pass to Higgins, setting up 3rd & Short at the Commanders 31.

10 p.m. — The Bengals take their first timeout of the half as the clock winds down before a delay-of-game is called with 7:05 to go in the third.

9:58 p.m. — Burrow completes a pass to All for a gain of six before he hits Higgins up the middle for a 16-yard gain to the Washington 46. Then, the quarterback can't find Iosivas to bring up second down. 

9:57 p.m. — In bad news for the Commanders, which is slim today so far, RB Ekeler is being evaluated for a concussion and is questionable to return.

9:55 p.m. — Seibert kicks it to Williams, who runs it back for 22 yards to the Bengals 23. Brown takes the first handoff from Burrow of the half and skirts around the outside for a 16-yard gain. However, the quarterback is sacked by Jean-Baptiste on the next play for a loss of seven.

Commanders 28, Bengals 13

9:51 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS! Robinson carries it for no gain, then Daniels throws his first ever passing score to Scott, the OT, on his first route ever in his 7-year career. Seibert hits the extra point and the Commanders lead is extended to 15.

9:51 p.m. — Ekeler takes a carry for three yards before Daniels finds Brown coming out of the end zone before the receiver is tackled at the one. Ekeler went off the field after his last carry.

9:49 p.m. — Robinson takes another carry for two yards, and Daniels is pressured on the next play before he scrambles out of bounds at the line of scrimmage. However, there is a penalty on Cincinnati's Taylor-Britt, giving Washington five more yards and an automatic 1st down at the 12.

9:47 p.m. — Robinson takes the first handoff of the half for five before Ertz makes his first reception of the game for another four. Daniels takes it himself on 3rd & 1 for a 3-yard gain and a first down at the Cincinnati 21.

9:45 p.m. — McPherson boots it to the Washington five where Ekeler makes the catch, and he weaves his way up the field for an impressive 62-yard return all the way to the Bengals 33. It's the longest return of his career.

Halftime: Commanders 21, Bengals 13

9:29 p.m. — FIELD GOAL BENGALS. McPherson hits a 31-yard try to make it an 8-point game with 22 seconds left in the half. He then boots it into the end zone for a touchback. Daniels kneels to run out the clock and both teams head to the locker room.

9:27 p.m. — Moss runs for four yards up the middle before the Bengals take another timeout, then Burrow misses the running back on the next play. He follows that up with another incompletion to Chase, who nearly catches it before it hits the ground, to set up 4th & 6 with 29 seconds remaining.

9:27 p.m. — Burrow finds All on the sideline, who dodges a Commanders player for an 8-yard gain to the 17. Cincinnati then takes its first timeout.

9:25 p.m. — Moss takes it again for a 2-yard gain and the Commanders take their second timeout of the half. There's 53 seconds remaining before the whistle.

9:23 p.m. — Burrow will not go into the locker room quietly as he finds Chase for 22 yards and a 1st down into Washington territory. Then, Moss takes it himself, avoiding Payne in the backfield for another 11 to the Commanders 27.

9:20 p.m. — Seibert boots it for a touchback and Brown takes the first carry for Cincinnati for 10 yards and a first down at the 40 before the clock winds down to the two minute warning. In unfortunate news for the Bengals, Brown went straight to the x-ray room and was ruled OUT with a left knee injury.

Commanders 21, Bengals 10

9:17 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS! Daniels walks it in himself for his third rushing score of the season and the team's third of the night. Seibert hits the extra point and the Commanders hold an 11-point lead over their hosts. Daniels' dad was pumped up as well. 

9:16 p.m. — Daniels scrambles up the middle himself for five before finding McLaurin deep in Cincinnati territory for a 55-yard gain. The receiver is taken down at the Bengals six with four seconds to go before the two minute warning.

9:13 p.m. — McPherson kicks it off to Igbinoghene, who returns it to the Washington 25. Daniels passes it to his left to Brown for a 5-yard gain, then Robinson takes a direct snap before rushing for four more to set up 3rd & 1 at the Commanders 34. Then, Robinson takes it again for two and a fresh set of downs.

Commanders 14, Bengals 10

9:10 p.m. — FIELD GOAL BENGALS. Burrow throws it behind Iosivas on 3rd & Goal, but the receiver was well covered. Cincinnati sends on McPherson for a 28-yard field goal and he nails it, shaving the margin to four with 5:25 remaining in the half.

9:09 p.m. — Moss carries it up the middle for a 5-yard gain to the Washington nine. Mims comes in to replace Brown for the Bengals.

9:07 p.m. — Burrow is sacked by Fowler and Armstrong for a loss of six, and unfortunately Bengals OT Brown was injured during the play. The cart eventually comes out for him, and he was grabbing his knee in agony before being carried off.

9:05 p.m. — The rookie All pulls one in from Burrow for an 8-yard gain and a 1st down at the Washington 25. Then, the quarterback finds Gesicki over the middle at the 8-yard line to set up 1st & Goal. 

9:03 p.m. — Brown makes a catch for eight yards before being pushed out of bounds at the Commanders 34 before he takes another carry for one yard, setting up 3rd & 1 at the 33.

9:02 p.m. — Burrow hands it off to Moss for a 5-yard gain and a 1st down at their own 44. Then, Brown carries it for 14 more on the next play and sets up a fresh set of downs again in Washington territory.

9 p.m. — With that score, the Commanders have now scored on 10 of their last 11 drives dating back to Week 1—yet Daniels still does not have a touchdown pass. Brown gets to the 30 on the return off Seibert's kick, and Burrow completes the first pass of the drive to Moss who is pushed out of bounds for a gain of nine.

Commanders 14, Bengals 7

8:55 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON! Daniels finds McCaffrey out of the break on a dart for an 11-yard gain and a 1st down. Then, Ekeler gets the handoff and muscles his way through a hole before breaking free for a 24-yard touchdown dash. Seibert hits the extra point and the Commanders lead with 11:31 in the half.

8:50 p.m. — Robinson takes another carry for no gain, then Daniels completes his fourth pass of the game to Brown for a 16-yard gain, setting up another set of downs at the Cincinnati 35. Daniels then throws an incompletion deep toward the end zone but no one was there to receive it. Washington takes a timeout with 12:15 to go in the quarter.

8:48 p.m. — The Commanders receive the ball on their own 38 with 14:51 to go in the half. Robinson takes the first handoff from Daniels for seven yards, then the quarterback takes it himself for four and a 1st down. He leads Washington with 11 rushing yards so far.

8:45 p.m. — Gesicki can't pull in a deep pass from Burrow under good coverage from Chinn to set up 4th & 11 at the Washington 30. McPherson is called on to kick a 48-yard field goal, but he misses his first in 29 tries and the game remains tied.

End of first quarter: Bengals 7, Commanders 7

8:43 p.m. — Burrow finds Brown short, but he is taken down for a loss of one by Chinn before the quarterback misses Brown, bringing up 3rd & 11 as the clock winds down to end the first.

8:42 p.m. — Higgins makes his first catch of the season at the Commanders' 30 and muscles forward for one more yard. The ball came out at the end of the play but Higgins was ruled down, and the Bengals have a fresh set of downs just outside the red zone.

8:40 p.m. — Burrow finds the rookie All at the line of scrimmage with a completion for no gain, then the quarterback passes it to Moss up the middle for six yards to set up 3rd & 4 on the Washington 43.

8:38 p.m. — Moss muscles a carry forward for three yards and a fresh set of downs, then Burrow completes a 16-yard pass to Chase who makes the catch and runs forward for another 1st.

8:36 p.m. — Seibert kicks it off the the one yet again and Brown runs it out for a 22-yard return. Burrow's first handoff goes to Brown who takes it for seven before the running back takes another handoff for two more, setting up 3rd & 1 at the Bengals 32.

Bengals 7, Commanders 7

8:32 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS! Robinson walks in a 1-yard score, completing a 6:12 drive with a touchdown. Seibert ties it up with the extra point and there are just over five minutes to go in the first.

8:30 p.m. — Cincinnati is penalized on the next play for too many men on the field and Washington advances to the 1-yard line. Robinson takes a carry for no gain twice, but the Bengals draw yet another flag thanks to Pratt, who was lined up in the neutral zone. The result was keeping Washington at 2nd & Goal.

8:28 p.m. — The Bengals come up with a huge stop as Carter and Tufele split a sack on Daniels for a loss of one. The Commanders go for it, and Daniels passes it up the middle to McCaffrey for a 30-yard gain before he steps out of bounds at the two.

8:27 p.m. — Daniels continues to target Ekeler and hits him on the bubble before the running back takes it for 14 to the Bengals 40. The quarterback himself takes it the next play for seven yards before tripping out of bounds, then he hands it to Robinson again for a 2-yard gain to set up 3rd & 1 at the Cincinnati 31.

8:25 p.m. — Ekeler takes the first handoff from Daniels and runs it for eight before catching an 8-yard pass for the first down at their own 46. Daniels then gives it to Robinson who is stopped by Pratt and Hilton for no gain.

8:24 p.m. — The touchdown pass to Chase was Burrow's 100th passing score of his career. McPherson kicks things off after the play with a touchback and the Commanders will get it on their own 30.

Bengals 7, Commanders 0

8:21 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN BENGALS! Chase starts things off with a bang, catching a pinpoint pass from Burrow in the end zone for a 41-yard score, his first of the year. McPherson hits the extra point and Cincinnati leads by seven with 11:37 to go in the quarter.

8:20 p.m. — At the Bengals 42, Moss takes the first carry of the game for two yards. Burrow gives it to Moss again the next play, and the running back finds a hole to escape for 15 yards and a 1st down into Washington territory.

8:18 p.m. — Burrow's first pass goes short to Chase for a 1-yard gain, then the quarterback hits Iosivas on the sideline for seven more. On 3rd & 2 at their own 37, Burrow takes it himself for five and gets a fresh set of downs.

8:17 p.m. — Seibert boots it to the one and Brown returns it for 28 yards. Cincinnati will start with it on their own 29.

8:15 p.m. — Washington wins the toss and defers. The Bengals will receive the first half kick shortly.

Pregame

8:10 p.m. — Both teams have taken the field and we are five minutes away from kickoff.

8 p.m. — Higgins will rejoin the Bengals starting lineup, pairing back up with fellow receiver Chase to reunite one of the best duos in the league. He injured his hamstring during practice in Week 1, causing him to miss the first two games of the season. Last year, the two combined for over 1,800 yards considering Higgins also struggled with his hamstring last season too.

7:55 p.m. — There are 20 minutes to go until kickoff and it is lightly sprinkling at Paycor Stadium. The forecast included a slight chance of rain, but it doesn't appear it should be a major issue as of right now.

7:50 p.m. — Check out Bengals receiver Jamar Chase's shirt ahead of tonight's game. He's definitely confident, that's for sure.

7:45 p.m. — With 30 minutes to go before Bengals vs. Commanders kicks off and the Jaguars vs. Bills game underway, here's some of the coverage on tonight's doubleheader from The Sporting News so far.

7:30 p.m. — LSU products Daniels and Burrow have linked up pregame during warmups. 

7:25 p.m. — As a reminder, this game is part of a doubleheader including a matchup between the Jaguars and the Bills. The Sporting News is offering live coverage of that contest as well—you can find it here.

7:10 p.m. — Keep in mind this is Daniels primetime debut. Burrow is 1-1 on Monday nights in his career so far, beating the Rams 19-16 in September 2023 and losing to Cleveland 32-13 in October 2022.

6:45 p.m. — Both teams have arrived at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati and released their inactives ahead of tonight's matchup. For the Bengals, Von Bell is active but DTs Sheldon Rankins and B.J. Hill are out. Notably, Tee Higgins should play tonight as well.

As far as Washington's list goes, the team will be without its sack leader Clelin Ferrell who suffered a knee injury. Rookie Johnny Newton should appear tonight as well.

Commanders vs. Bengals start time

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

Monday's game between the Commanders and Bengals is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

What channel is Commanders vs. Bengals on today?

Commanders vs. Bengals will be broadcast nationally on ABC, the second game in Week 3's Monday night doubleheader.

Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentary) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) will be on the call from Cincinnati. A live stream of the game will be available on ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial.

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Sarah Effress

Sarah Effress Photo

Sarah Effress is an editorial intern for The Sporting News. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, and loves to talk soccer and women's college sports.