LANDOVER, Md. _ After leading the Bengals' first offense to an opening touchdown drive here Monday night at Northwest Stadium, quarterback Joe Burrow executed another one against the Commanders without top options Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while handing off to rookie running back Tahj Brooks behind rookie right guard Jalen Rivers. Rivers saw extended action after G Lucas Patrick got dinged up, according to head coach Zac Taylor.
Burrow pulled the Bengals into a 14-14 tie in the first two minutes of the second quarter when he paralyzed three defenders with a four-yard bolt to backup wide receiver Charlie Jones for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone.
Burrow drilled it over a leaping defender and in between two more to presumably go into the regular season with three touchdown passes in the busiest preseason of his career.
Taylor hasn't said if he'll play his starters in the Aug. 23 preseason finale against the Colts at Paycor Stadium. But after a career-high 24 preseason snaps on Monday, Burrow looks ready even if his numbers against Washington didn't glitter like they did against the Eagles in the preseason opener.
He still put up a 97.2 passer rating on nine-of-14 for 62 yards. Even if he wasn't his accurate self, he was just as resourceful. He set up that last touchdown converting a fourth-and-three to Jones on a 13-yard slant and made the first touchdown possible when he drew veteran linebacker Frankie Luvu offsides with his cadence on fourth-and-three.
On that last drive, the Bengals got a huge break when defensive end Deatrich Wise was called for a horse collar on his second-down sack. It was a coverage sack and when Burrow scrambled away, Wise committed the foul.
The Bengals have wanted to see Rivers, a fifth-round pick, work at guard with the Ones, and he replaced Lucas Patrick on the right side in that last drive. Burrow drove them into the red zone when No. 3 receiver Andrei Iosivas ran a killer come-back route for a 12-yard gain.
On the previous drive, the only one of his five in the preseason Burrow hasn't generated a touchdown, he took a massive 17-yard sack when he tried to crazy legs out of pressure that came through his right side.
Although Chase didn't score like he did in the opener, he set up the first touchdown with an 11-yard catch over the middle and then pulled off the biggest play of that opening drive. With Chase Brown picking up a blitz, Chase drew a 25-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene that put the ball on the Washington 4.
Burrow spent most of that first drive working out of a two-tight end formation with Noah Fant, making his Bengals debut, working with Drew Sample. But on fourth and one, Burrow spread three receivers and his tight end wide as Brown banged up the middle, shoving the ball over the goal line.
Chase and Higgins then went to the bench, and their backups embraced the stage. After Jones scored, quarterback Jake Browning hooked up with Mitchell Tinsley for touchdown catches of 13 and 21 yards within 20 seconds of the last minute of the first half to give the Bengals a 28-14 lead.
Check out the best photos from Bengals-Commanders Week 2 Preseason matchup in Washington, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
WR Ja'Marr Chase catches a pass in Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
RB Chase Brown scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
LB Joe Giles-Harris and WR Mitchell Tinsley served as captains for Preseason Week 2 against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
QB Joe Burrow looks to throw in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
OT Orlando Brown Jr. gestures after a Chase Brown touchdown in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
QB Joe Burrow presnap in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
RB Chase Brown in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
WR Charlie Jones celebrates a touchdown with TE Tanner Hudson in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
QB Joe Burrow hands the ball to RB Tahj Brooks in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
WR Charlie Jones catches a pass on fourth down in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
WR Charlie Jones celebrates a touchdown with WR Ja'Marr Chase in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
QB Jake Browning looks to throw in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
S Tycen Anderson intercepts a pass in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
TE Tanner Hudson gestures in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
WR Mitchell Tinsley catches a touchdown in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
LB Barrett Carter celebrates an interception in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
LB Barrett Carter intercepts a pass in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates WR Mitchell Tinsley's touchdown in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
TE Tanner Hudson stretches after a catch in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
QB Jake Browning looks to throw in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
The Bengals defense makes a tackle in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
DT T.J. Slaton Jr. and LB Barrett Cater celebrate Carter's interception in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
K Evan McPherson makes a 54-yard fourth quarter field goal in the Preseason Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
