3 tricky conundrums the Commanders must solve in Week 3 at the Bengals

Commanders' tacking issues versus talented wide receivers

If Tee Higgins returns this week, the Cincinnati Bengals will have a one-two punch at wide receiver that equals Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. We all saw how much trouble they gave the Washington Commanders' secondary in Week 1.

Joe Burrow is also developing a good rapport with Andrei Iosivas, who has become a reliable slot replacement for Tyler Boyd. And rookie Jermaine Burton announced his presence with his first NFL catch - a 47 straight fly pattern in which he simply outran the Kansas City Chiefs secondary and the signal-caller hit him in stride.

Add to that a revived tight end in Mike Gesicki, who has always been a dangerous receiver, and the potential playmaking of Chase Brown out of the backfield, and Washington’s pass defenders will face a lot of challenges under the national spotlight.

Washington’s cornerbacks cannot stay with the Bengals receivers. Even with a good game under his belt, Benjamin St-Juste is still prone to giving up the big play. And he is far and away the Commanders' best option.

Michael Davis was a disaster against the New York Giants. For the second time in two games, Washington had to bench a starting cornerback when he became helpless against Malik Nabers’ spin move. Noah Igbinoghene is a steadier option, but he cannot run with the Bengals wideouts.

To make matters worse, the Commanders' pass rush has been virtually non-existent when they are not blitzing. Perhaps Jamin Davis will be able to help out a bit against the Bengals, but there is no immediate fix. Washington simply doesn't have very good pass rushers on its roster.

The secondary is going to have to play a lot of zone. They must show great discipline and not have the blown assignments that have been plaguing them in recent years. Most of all, they will need to close fast and tackle.

This is theoretically something that newcomers Jeremy Chinn, Frankie Luvu, and Bobby Wagner are very good at. That will be put to the test. Percy Butler has been taking on a larger role at safety because he also tackles well. Igbinoghene and St-Juste will need to limit big plays on the perimeter. Perhaps this is the game where we will see rookie phenom Tyler Owens play a bigger role on defense. Thus far, he has been relegated to special teams.

Where is Danny Johnson when you need him?

The Commanders have their work cut out for them on Monday Night Football. But they will have a fighting chance against a talented opponent who will be highly motivated to turn their season around with a strong performance if these conundrums are solved.

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