WASHINGTON — The Cincinnati Bengals play the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football in Week 11 of the 2026 NFL season. The teams have met 12 times previously.

The Commanders finished the 2025 season with a 5-12 record, placing third in the NFC East. Quarterback Jayden Daniels participated in seven games. Marcus Mariota started eight games, recording two wins and six losses. Josh Johnson started two games for Washington in 2025 and is a member of the Bengals in 2026.

In 2025, the offense averaged 20.9 points per game, ranking 22nd in the NFL. The unit averaged 184.1 passing yards per game, placing 24th. Deebo Samuel led the team with 72 receptions, 727 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. Terry McLaurin played in 10 games. The team ranked fourth in the NFL with 4.7 yards per carry and 134.7 rushing yards per game. Jacory Croskey-Merritt had 175 rushing attempts for 805 yards and eight touchdowns. Chris Rodriguez contributed 112 attempts for 500 yards and six touchdowns before departing in free agency in the 2026 offseason.

The defense allowed 26.5 points per game in 2025, the sixth-most in the NFL. Opponents gained 384.3 yards per game, the most in the league. The run defense permitted 141.8 rushing yards per game, the third-most, and 4.8 yards per carry, the fifth-most. The pass defense allowed 242.5 passing yards per game, the fifth-most. The team recorded 10 takeaways, the second-fewest in the league.

Following the 2025 season, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and the team mutually parted ways, and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was dismissed. The team hired David Blough as offensive coordinator and Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator. Blough served as the assistant quarterbacks coach for Washington in 2024 and 2025.

In the 2026 offseason, Washington signed defensive end Odafe Oweh to a four-year contract, defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. to a three-year contract, and defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson to a one-year contract. The team selected linebacker Sonny Styles Jr. from Ohio State with the seventh overall pick and drafted defensive end Joshua Josephs from Tennessee in the third round. Other additions included linebacker Leo Chenal, safety Nick Cross, cornerback Amik Robertson, running backs Jerome Ford and Rachaad White, wide receivers Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson on one-year contracts, and tight end Chig Okonkwo on a three-year contract.

Dan Quinn is the head coach, entering his third season in 2026. Daniels, who won the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2024, and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow are both Heisman Trophy winners from LSU. They faced each other in Week 3 of the 2024 season at Paycor Stadium, a Monday Night Football game which Washington won 38-33.