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The 5 O’Clock Club
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2026 opponent preview series: Wk 1 Eagles | Wk 2 Cowboys | Wk 3 Seahawks | Wk 4 Colts | Wk 5 Giants | Wk 6 49ers | Wk 9 Rams
Previewing Washington’s 14 opponents of the ‘26 season — one at a time
In 2026, the Commanders will, like every other team in the NFL, play 17 games against 14 opponents. With the amount
of roster change that NFL teams undergo annually along with the unusually large number of head coach and coordinator changes in 2026, it seems useful to spend some time to review each of Washington’s regular season opponents.
Week 11 is part of an interesting stretch for Washington:
- It is the last of three home games in a 4-game stretch from Wk 8 to Wk 11 that includes the Rams and Eagles (ranked #1 and #10 on the ESPN Power Index respectively)
- It is the only home game in a 4-game stretch from Wk 10 to Wk 13 in which the Commanders play the Giants, Titans and Cardinals (ranked #23, #27 and #29 on the ESPN Power Index respectively)
In some ways, the Weeks 10 & 11 games against the Giants and Bengals seems to mark the pivot-point between the brutal first half of the season when the 8 opponents have an average ranking of 10.5 on the ESPN Power Index (with 5 games vs top-10 ranked teams), and the relatively benign final seven games of the season in which the 7 opponents have an average ranking of 20th on the ESPN Power Rankings (and only the Cowboys [11] and Texans [13] rank in the top half of the league).
Week 11 Preview: Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Commanders
Date: November 23, 2026, 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday Night Football)
Location: Northwest Stadium in Landover Maryland
The Bengals ended with a disappointing 6-11 record in 2025, finishing 3rd in the AFC North and missing the playoffs for a 3rd consecutive year. The season was quickly derailed when franchise quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2, forcing him onto injured reserve and leading to a brutal 1–8 stretch without him. Compounding Burrow’s absence, star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson was limited to just seven games, with the defense giving up 28.9 points per game and ranking dead last in rush defense. To solve these glaring issues ahead of 2026, the front office revamped the defensive interior by trading their 2026 1st-round pick for 3-time Pro Bowl DT Dexter Lawrence, while also restructuring Burrow’s contract to free up cap space.
Looking ahead, a healthy roster paired with a dominant defensive anchor gives Cincinnati bounce-back potential, and the Bengals are favored in 15 of their 17 games, including this prime time matchup against the Commanders in Landover.
The All-Time Series Numbers
Washington and Cincinnati have a very limited history, having played just 12 times since the Bengals joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1967, with the first game between the two being a 20-0 shutout by the Redskins in the then newly-renamed RFK Stadium.
The overall series stands at 6-5-1 in favor of Washington. The Bengals won 3 straight contests from 2004 to 2012, but the Redskins won 4 out of 6 games played before 2000, and Washington is 2-0-1 in games played in the past decade.
London
Washington’s first-ever international game was played against Cincinnati in October 2016, ending in a 27-27 tie.
Washington forced overtime late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Kirk Cousins engineered a 10-play drive, capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Reed and a game-tying extra point with just over two minutes remaining.
In the extra period, the Redskins had a prime opportunity to win, but kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a potential game-winning 34-yard field goal wide left with 2:13 left on the clock. Cincinnati’s final desperation drive then stalled out when DT Chris “Swaggy” Baker forced an Andy Dalton fumble near midfield. On 4 subsequent passes, Kirk Cousins was unable to move the offense, cementing what was the first tie game in NFL international series history.
Jayden’s ‘coming out party’ – the Monday Night shootout in 2024
The Week 3 MNF clash between the Commanders and Bengals in 2024 was an offensive masterclass. In a display of poised execution, neither team punted or turned the ball over for the entire sixty minutes, a statistical anomaly that hadn’t previously happened in a regular-season game since World War II.
Cincinnati’s offense, spearheaded by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, moved the ball at will. Burrow threw for 324 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Chase repeatedly shredded the Washington secondary, racking up 118 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The Bengals consistently sustained drives and answered Washington’s scores, finishing the night with 436 total yards and looking every bit like a postseason contender.
Yet, despite Cincinnati’s fireworks, the night ultimately belonged to Washington’s rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels. In his first career primetime game, Daniels delivered one of the most efficient passing performances in NFL history. He completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for another 39 yards and a score on the ground. His 91.3% completion rate set an all-time NFL single-game rookie record. Daniels operated the offense with a veteran’s poise, repeatedly extending plays with his legs and dissecting the Bengals’ defense on critical third and fourth downs.
The defining moment of Daniels’ winning performance came late in the fourth quarter. With Washington holding a 5-point lead and facing a crucial third-and-7 play, the rookie faced an all-out blitz. Exhibiting ice-cold composure that came to define his rookie season, Daniels stood strong in the pocket and launched a beautifully arched, 27-yard rainbow down the right sideline. The ball dropped perfectly over a defender and right into the outstretched hands of star receiver Terry McLaurin in the back corner of the end zone. The spectacular touchdown pass capped off a masterful drive and effectively iced the 38–33 victory for the Commanders.
By delivering the win in this shootout under the bright lights of prime time, Jayden Daniels instantly introduced himself to a nationwide and worldwide audience of NFL fans as a legitimate NFL franchise quarterback.
I choose to think of this 2026 Week 11 Monday Night Football game as “Part II” of that memorable first-ever NFL matchup between Burrow and Daniels.
Bengals 2026 Coaching Changes
The Bengals did not undergo any major coaching changes after the 2025 season. Following a 6–11 regular season, team president Mike Brown issued a public vote of confidence prioritizing coaching continuity.
Head Coach: Zac Taylor returns for his eighth season leading the team.
Offensive Coordinator: Dan Pitcher retained his position after drawing interest from other NFL teams during the offseason cycle.
Defensive Coordinator: Al Golden returned to lead the defensive unit for a second consecutive year.
The team only made minor internal title adjustments and lower-level staff hires to complete their 2026 staff.
CBS Sports, this week, listed Zac Taylor as #4 on its list of NFL coaches on the hot seat in 2026:
Cincinnati has now missed the postseason three straight years, and last season’s 6-11 campaign was painful. Not only did Burrow miss nine games after suffering a turf toe injury in Week 2, but the defense was one of the worst in the league. The Bengals ranked in the bottom three in scoring defense (28.9 points allowed per game), total defense (380.9 yards allowed per game) and yards per play (6.2). They also became the first team in NFL history to allow 27 points and 350 total yards in eight straight games, and the first team since the 1966 Giants to lose two straight games while scoring at least 38 points in each.
To put it bluntly, the Bengals are wasting an opportunity with an elite quarterback in Burrow and an elite wide receiver in Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow is the only quarterback in NFL history to post a passer rating of at least 100 without a playoff start over a three-season span. Chase, meanwhile, is the best receiver in the NFL. Randy Moss is the only other wideout to record 1,000 receiving yards and at least seven touchdowns in each of a player’s first five seasons. Chase has three 1,400-yard seasons, including his incredible 2024 campaign when he won the receiving triple crown with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.
If Zac Taylor can’t find a way to get this talented roster back to the postseason in a division featuring three new head coaches, the Bengals could make a change.
Bengals on offense
Following a 2025 season in which the Bengals offense was ranked near the middle of the NFL, Dan Pitcher’s task, entering his 2nd season as the coordinator, is to get more production while dealing with NFL defenses that increasingly rely on two-high safety shells to neutralize the long, vertical passing lanes the Bengals want to exploit.
Schematic Philosophy: Finding Explosiveness Under Center
The primary adjustment for the Bengals’ offense, like the Commanders and many other NFL teams in 2026, is a concerted effort to integrate more under-center formations and traditional play-action concepts. Historically under head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Joe Burrow, Cincinnati has operated almost exclusively from the shotgun formation, picking apart defenses with short, highly efficient underneath passes. However, Pitcher’s self-scouting revealed that the lack of an under-center presence limited the team’s ability to generate explosive running plays and easy play-action over-the-top shots (does any of this sound familiar?). By placing Burrow under center more frequently, Pitcher intends to force opposing defenses out of their passive shell coverage, blending efficiency with higher risk-tolerance on early downs. This adaptation is designed to protect the football while simultaneously reviving the team’s big-play identity.
Featured and New Personnel
The engine of the unit remains the pairing of Joe Burrow and star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, but the rest of the roster is equally critical to the team’s success:
- Chase Brown: Coming off an impressive 1,019-yard rushing season, the explosive dynamic back acts as the clear focal point of the rushing attack. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield is heavily factored into Pitcher’s under-center wrinkles.
- Offensive Line Continuity: The starting offensive line features five-man continuity, anchoring on tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims. Ensuring pass-blocking consistency and establishing a stronger push for the ground game are vital to the team’s structural changes.
- Veteran Depth: The quarterback room added experienced depth by signing veteran Joe Flacco to back up Burrow, providing a reliable insurance policy given the starting quarterback’s recent injury history.
Outlook for Success
The success of Pitcher’s offense largely hinges on execution and health. Oddsmakers are optimistic about the unit, typically projecting the Bengals as favorites to win in 2026. If Burrow maintains optimal health, his 0.7% turnover-worthy play rate indicates that Cincinnati will protect the football at an elite level. The ultimate ceiling of the group relies on whether Pitcher can successfully unlock the deep passing game without increasing Burrow’s hit rate. If the under-center rushing component forces defenses into the box, the Bengals possess the necessary skill-position ingredients to rank among the league’s top-tier offenses once again.
Bengals on defense
As the Bengals look to reverse their 2025 fortunes, the pressure squarely intensifies on defensive coordinator Al Golden, whose unit faces a steep uphill battle. Golden’s first year calling the defense was largely a disaster, as Cincinnati floundered near the bottom of nearly every major category. The team finished last in rushing yards allowed (147.1 per game), 31st in total yards, and the defense surrendered a porous 28.9 points per game. While optimists point toward second-half adjustments made during the 2025 season, others remain highly critical of a group that repeatedly failed to deal with basic offensive concepts or to keep opponents out of the end zone.
Schematic Philosophy: Simplification Amidst Skepticism
Golden’s overarching philosophy relies on maintaining a base 4-2 nickel alignment while attempting to simplify the complex, veteran-reliant playbook left behind by his predecessor, Lou Anarumo, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator for 6 seasons from 2019 through 2024 and who is cited by Washington’s Daronte Jones as one of the rookie DC’s influences.
The goal is to strip down processing demands so that a younger roster can play fast and focus on fundamental tackling. However, critics argue that this simplified approach makes the defense entirely too predictable and easy for opposing coordinators to scheme against. Furthermore, Golden relies heavily on safety and cornerback rotations to maintain energy late in games. Skeptics wonder if this constant substituting will prevent a young secondary from ever finding situational rhythm or consistency.
Featured and New Personnel
The roster has undergone a radical shift, but the missing star power leaves major questions across the board. The acquisition of three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the Giants aims to address the league’s worst rushing defense, though questions remain regarding the team’s lack of edge-rushing depth following Trey Hendrickson‘s departure. The defensive front now relies on Lawrence’s interior presence and the development of Myles Murphy, alongside a young linebacker corps
Outlook for Success
Projections for Golden’s defense heading into 2026 remain cautious or even skeptical. While the front office made aggressive moves to add to the defensive rotation, the lack of a proven, alpha edge threat following Hendrickson’s departure could render those interior changes ineffective. If Murphy cannot make a massive leap, opposing quarterbacks will have comfortable pockets to pick apart a transitioning secondary, and unless Golden can prove his simplified scheme can actually stop the run and generate organic pressure, this unit projects to remain a clear liability that could hold back an elite offense once again.
Key statistical 2025 rankings
Key Offensive Rankings
- Scoring Offense: #12 in the NFL (24.4 points per game).
- Total Offense: #17 in the NFL (329.2 yards per game).
- Points Per Play: #10 in the NFL (0.392 points per play).
- Yards Per Play: #15 in the NFL (5.3 yards per play).
- Advanced Metrics: #10 in Expected Points Added (EPA) per play (+0.046).
Key Defensive Rankings
- Yards Allowed Per Play: #32 in the NFL (6.2 yards allowed per play).
- Scoring Defense: #30 in the NFL (28.9 points allowed per game).
- Total Defense: #31 in the NFL (380.9 yards allowed per game).
- Passing Defense: #26 in the NFL (233.8 passing yards allowed per game).
- Points Allowed Per Play: #30 in the NFL (0.469 points allowed per play).
Roster Moves: Free Agency and the Draft
Trades and Free Agency
Player trades
- Dexter Lawrence: In a huge move, the Bengals acquired 3-time Pro Bowl DT Dexter Lawrence from the Giants. Cincinnati traded away their 2026 1st-round draft pick (No. 10 overall) for Lawrence.
- Logan Wilson: The Bengals traded linebacker Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys. In exchange, Cincinnati received a 2026 7th-round draft selection (No. 221 overall), which they ultimately used to draft tight end Jack Endries.
Key Free agent signings
- Edge Boye Mafe
- DT Jonathan Allen
- S Bryan Cook
- LT Orlando Brown (extension)
Key Free agent losses
- Edge Joseph Ossai
- Edge Trey Hendrickson
- TE Noah Fant
The 2026 NFL Draft
The Cincinnati Bengals selected 7 players in the 2026 NFL draft:
- Round 2, No. 41 overall: Cashius Howell (DE, Texas A&M)
The Bengals believe his defensive line depth can provide immediate on-field productivity.
- Round 3, No. 72 overall: Tacario Davis (CB, Washington)
Davis features a large 6-foot-4 frame that helps the team address a future structural need at outside corner. - Round 4, No. 128 overall: Connor Lew (C, Auburn)
Selected after a trade down, Lew is a former team captain who projects as a backup center behind Ted Karras. - Round 4, No. 140 overall: Colbie Young (WR, Georgia)
Young provides the offense with a large target on the outside as he recovers from a fractured leg that limited his 2025 production. - Round 6, No. 189 overall: Brian Parker II (OL, Duke)
Parker offers positional versatility for the offensive line after playing both tackle positions during his collegiate career. - Round 7, No. 221 overall: Jack Endries (TE, Texas)
The pass-catching tight end was selected to add depth to an aging position group recovering from injuries. - Round 7, No. 226 overall: Landon Robinson (DT, Navy)
Robinson recorded 6.5 sacks last season and gives the defense another option on the interior defensive line.
Betting Lines
Oddsmakers have established the visitors as the favorite for this matchup.
- Point Spread: Bengals -1.5
- Game Total (Over/Under): 52.5 points
A 1.5-point spread represents a surprising belief in the Bengals ability to win as visitors vs the Burgundy & Gold, something they’ve managed only twice since 1970. The point total is set at 52.5, reflecting expectations of substantial offensive output from both sides — not surprising given the result the last time these two teams met on Monday Night Football.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
- Who will win this mid-November MNF game?
- Which QB — Joe Burrow or Jayden Daniels — will have the better game?
- Which of these two teams (or neither/both) will be in the playoffs?
