The Bengals continue the preseason with a road matchup against the Washington Commanders on Monday night at Northwest Stadium. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. on ESPN and Cincinnati's channel 5.

• Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Commanders (Get Tickets)
• Monday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. ET
• ESPN (How to Watch)

Here is what to watch for:

More Reps for First-Team Offense

After playing the entire first quarter of last Thursday's preseason opener at Philadelphia, the Bengals' first-team offense will once again see action on Monday night, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

Against the Eagles, quarterback Joe Burrow and company orchestrated two touchdown drives and averaged 9.7 yards per play. After an incompletion on his first attempt, Burrow strung together nine straight completions for 123 yards and two passing scores. His first touchdown throw was a 12-yarder to tight end Tanner Hudson, then he capped off his night with a 36-yarder to All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

"It's just good to play again," said Burrow following the game. "The more reps you get, the better you're going to be. We got 15 reps (vs. the Eagles), so we're 15 reps better."

Burrow and the offense look to translate an increased workload in the preseason to a fast start in the regular season, as just over three weeks remain until the Battle of Ohio in Week 1.

Opportunities at Safety

With starter Geno Stone recovering from an injury, Cincinnati's remaining safeties figure to receive an increased snap share. Stone's running mate, Jordan Battle, already made a splash play this week in training camp when he became the first Bengals defender to pick off Burrow in an 11-on-11 drill.

Another safety whose camp performances has turned heads is PJ Jules, who spent his 2024 rookie season on Cincinnati's practice squad. Jules tied for the team lead with five solo tackles in the preseason opener at Philadelphia, and then intercepted backup quarterback Jake Browning in the subsequent practice. He has earned more action with the first-team defense in Stone's absence, and is lauded by Cincinnati's coaches for his communication and knowledge of the defensive scheme.

"If the guy makes a play, he's earned an opportunity to stay on the field," said secondary/safeties coach Jordan Kovacs. "That's the way I look at it and the way I've always felt. You make a big play like that, you've earned yourself some more reps."

Other safeties who could see substantial playing time on Monday night include Tycen Anderson, who lined up for 29 defensive snaps and posted four tackles against the Eagles, and Daijahn Anthony, who contributed primarily on special teams as a rookie last year.

Right Guard Competition Heats Up

With four of the five starting offensive line spots rounding into shape for Cincinnati, the lone position battle remains at right guard. Among the players in competition for that role are free agent acquisition Lucas Patrick and versatile piece Cody Ford.

Both players provide veteran experience in the O-line room, as Patrick has started 64 games in his NFL career for Green Bay (2016-21), Chicago (2022-23) and New Orleans (2024). Ford, who joined the Bengals during the 2023 offseason, has served as a multifaceted tool throughout his Cincinnati tenure, with playing time at both tackle and both guard spots over the past two years.

Another option for Taylor and the coaching staff is rookie Jalen Rivers, who is listed as a tackle but has been noted for his ability to jump in at guard.

"(During) these next six practices, we'll look at some different things with Cody and Jalen, and make some decisions as we go," said Taylor on Aug. 9. "There's no real criteria that we are looking for, it's just a decision we will make at some point. That's not something we have to make today. We've still got six practices left in our minds to really assess those guys."

Deep Receiver Room Fights for Final Roster Spots

In addition to headliners like Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas, the Bengals' offense has been boosted by a talented crop of receivers that Burrow has anointed as the deepest group he has thrown to in his career.

Jermaine Burton and Charlie Jones, who enter their second and third pro seasons, respectively, have shown flashes in the passing game over the last month in addition to their special teams responsibilities. Perhaps just as notable are depth pieces like Mitchell Tinsley and Isaiah Williams, a pair of young contributors who have caught the eye of both their quarterback and head coach.

"We're as deep as we've been at the receiver position since I've been here," Burrow said. "You have guys like Mitch and Isaiah having great camps as well. If somebody goes down, you can put somebody right there that we have a lot of faith in and has executed really well in training camp. Some of those guys don't have a ton of game reps yet, but when they continue to make plays in practice… we haven't had a ton of mental errors at receiver this camp either, and that's very rare. I think the young guys are doing a great job studying the play book, studying the script, knowing their jobs. I feel great about where that room is."

Tinsley makes his return to Washington on Monday night, after beginning his career as a game-day inactive and practice squad player with the Commanders in 2023 and '24. He lined up for 17 offensive snaps in the preseason opener at Philadelphia and caught one pass, a 15-yarder to convert a third down.

Williams played in six games for the Bengals as a rookie last year, after being acquired on waivers from Detroit in November. He saw limited action offensively, but took over Cincinnati's kickoff and punt return duties in the final quarter of the regular season.

Fant Set to Make Bengals Debut

Noah Fant, who signed with the Bengals as a free agent on July 31, is expected to make his first appearance in stripes on Monday night after sitting out the preseason opener. Fant enters his seventh pro season in 2025, after spending three years with Denver (2019-21) and three with Seattle (2022-24).

A 2019 first-round pick of the Broncos, Fant has suited up for 95 career games with 83 starts and has 300 receptions for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns. Known as a pass-catching threat who can stretch defenses downfield, he has logged at least 400 receiving yards in each season he has been in the league, highlighted by a career-best 673 yards with Denver in 2020.

As he joins a talented group of pass catchers in Cincinnati, Fant aims to progressively add his skill set to Burrow's arsenal. But in the time between Monday night and the regular-season opener, his primary objective remains learning the ropes of the offensive playbook.

"I'm just focused on doing whatever the coaches want me to do out there," said Fant. "I just try to go out there and put the best product on the field. Each year I try to improve on something and get better, so hopefully I'll keep on improving while I'm here."

Check out the Bengals 2025 Schedule.