Commander Country

Jayden Daniels shines, but Commanders fall short vs. Bengals

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels scored a touchdown in his preseason debut, but the team couldn't beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jeremy Brener|
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Cincinnati Bengals.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Cincinnati Bengals. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels should feel good about his team despite a 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Northwest Stadium on Monday night.

Daniels only played one drive that needed just four plays to travel 74 yards for a touchdown. Daniels ran the ball 14 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

The Commanders also scored on the ensuing drive thanks to seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who scored on a 27-yard carry.

READ MORE: Commanders rookie goes off against Bengals for big touchdown

While the Commanders scored early, the backups failed to get more than a field goal on the scoreboard while the defense struggled all night to stop the Bengals from scoring. Joe Burrow and Jake Browning each led a pair of touchdown drives in the first half to put the Bengals in a strong position to win.

The Bengals scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to pull ahead and create a deficit the Commanders couldn't recover from.

For the Commanders, Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman combined for 85 passing yards and two interceptions, making it extremely difficult for the team to move the football.

Despite the loss, the Commanders should be happy with their performance on the night. The starters looked strong, Croskey-Merritt looked like a player that could be the starting running back for the season and the team didn't have any major injuries to report.

While there are some things that need to be cleaned up, the Commanders have plenty of time between now and the start of the season to figure it out.

The Commanders are back in action on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 noon EST.

READ MORE: Former NFL agent explains Commanders, Terry McLaurin negotiation issues

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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