LANDOVER, Md. _ Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn't round up the usual suspects when he put quarterback Joe Burrow back into Monday night's preseason game here at Northwest Stadium for his third and final drive.

Out were All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and his other top target, wide receiver Tee Higgins. Also out were his top two running backs, Chase Brown and Samaje Perine.

Plus, rookie Jalen Rivers was in at right guard after Lucas Patrick got dinged on the previous drive.

And they delivered with a 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive capped by Burrow drilling a four-yard touchdown pass through three defenders to backup wide receiver Charlie Jones after the pair kept the drive going with a 13-yard slant on fourth-and-three.

That tied it at 14 and sparked the Bengals to a 31-17 win over Washington on Burrow's fourth touchdown drive in five preseason appearances.

Taylor said Burrow talked to him about getting some reps with the backups. So Burrow promptly hit his last five passes as Chase, Higgins, Brown, Perine and, not to mention, tight end Mike Gesicki, watched. There was Jones, and wide receiver Andrei Iosivas grabbing a 16-yarder and then running a hellacious come-back route to get them in the red zone with 12 more.

"It's no secret we've played games without Ja'Marr and Tee. I've missed games. That's life in the NFL," Burrow said. "You need guys to step up, and I need reps with those guys at some point. To get out there with guys like Chuck, Mitch (Tinlsey), and 'Drei running different stuff in different positions and different routes, that's very valuable."

JOE JUICED

That one sack, and the one that got reversed on a "horse collar," penalty, is exactly why Burrow wants to play in the preseason. And he most certainly has. With Monday's career-high 24 snaps for a preseason game, Burrow has now played a personal-high 40 snaps in August.

He probably should have unloaded both. Certainly, the 17-yarder where he was dropped at his own 1and tried to get out of it three times. But this is what is getting a feel for the pocket and the rush is all about. And he says he feels good about his time in the pocket this summer.

"That's the time to make those mistakes and learn from them," Burrow said. "The game doesn't count."

MONDAY NIGHT MITCH

Within 20 seconds in the last minute of the first half, Tinsley caught touchdown catches of 13 and 21 yards from Jake Browning to give the Bengals a 28-14 halftime lead.

Asked if he thought Tinsley made the club, Burrow said, "I hope so." Given that he lined with Jones and Iosivas on that third drive with Burrow, that tells you he's in pretty good shape if they keep six receivers, and they always do. WR Jermaine Burton was out with an injury Monday night.

"I don't want to make too much of this," said Tinsley, who said the same thing earlier this week when asked about returning to play the Commanders, his team for the previous two seasons.

After Tinsley led all receivers with 72 yards on five catches, Taylor revealed why he made Tinsley and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris game captains. It was not just because Tinsley is an ex-Commander.

"These are two guys who have quietly had great camps and done everything we've asked them to do. It could have been any number of guys," Taylor said. "These two were appropriate tonight. One offense. One defense."

Tinsley had him shaking his head in admiration.

"Baller," Taylor said.

BIG RUNS

The Washington offense put together two stunning drives of 106 rushing yards total against the Bengals' first defense to start the game. Pro Bowl quarterback Jayden Daniels didn't have to throw on the opening drive, as the Bengals gave up 74 yards on the first four plays, the last 14 on a Daniels' scramble through the middle.

That's the only drive Daniels played. When he left for the next series, the Commanders scored again on a 27-yard run after a 40-yard run on the first drive. And a 36-yarder last week in Philly.

Yet Taylor said he's not worried after calling plays against them in training camp.

"I'm excited about where our defense is," Taylor said. "We'll continue to fix things and practice them. We practice against them every day and there's a lot of things giving (the offense) a hard time right now, so we're just going to go off that."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

The Bengals' first touchdown was a tough-fourth-and-one-AFC-North touchdown with Chase Brown following center Ted Karras and rookie left guard Dylan Fairchild. Burrow shouted out Brown because there were two guys at the point of attack, and "Chase had a hungry, physical run." Karras called it, "A good rep." …

Rookie linebacker Barrett Carter, the guy the Bengals took in the fourth round out of Clemson because he's such an athletic cover, came through with a late pick of Sam Huffman in the first half to set up Tinlsey's second touchdown with 14 seconds left in the half. He attributed it to playing Huffman three times at Clemson.

"I'm going to keep it in my house for all-time," Carter said of the ball. "When I get a house." …

Backup right guard and swing tackle Cody Ford didn't play Monday, but Taylor indicated he doesn't have a serious injury and that he could have played in a real game ...