Bengals looking for first win as they host Washington in Monday night matchup

Washington (1-1) at Cincinnati (0-2)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN

BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 7 1/2

Against the spread: Commanders 1-1; Bengals 1-1

Series record: Tied 5-5-1

Last meeting: Washington beat the Bengals 20-9 on Nov. 22, 2020, at Washington.

Last week: Commanders beat Giants 21-18; Bengals lost to Chiefs 26-25.

Commanders offense: overall (10), rush (6), pass (19), scoring (17)

Commanders defense: overall (21), rush (16), pass (T22), scoring (29)

Bengals offense: overall (T24), rush (30), pass (16), scoring (T22)

Bengals defense: overall (20), rush (26), pass (T2), scoring (T15)

Turnover differential: Commanders plus 1; Bengals even.

QB Jayden Daniels, the Commanders' first-round draft pick, has completed 75.5% of his passes through his first two games. He is 40 of 53 for 410 yards, but has been sacked seven times, tied for third most in the NFL.

Joe Burrow was much better in Week 2 than in the opener. The fifth-year quarterback with a surgically repaired right wrist was 23 of 36 for 258 yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals' 26-25 loss to Kansas City on Sunday. Washington has allowed 455 total passing yards over two games.

Commanders running game against Bengals defensive front. Washington rushed for 215 yards — including 133 by Brian Robinson — in Sunday's 21-18 win over the New York Giants. The Bengals are still struggling to stop the run and may not be able to do much better with injuries to key interior linemen.

Washington CB Emmanuel Forbes is unlikely to play following surgery last week to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, but he hasn't been placed on injured reserve. ... Cincinnati defensive linemen B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins suffered hamstring injuries in the game last week. They are likely to miss some time. The Bengals signed journeyman DT Lawrence Guy to help fill in.

In their first meeting in 1970, Washington prevailed 20-0 at home. ... The Bengals pulled off the longest win streak in the series, winning three straight in 2004, ‘08 and ’12. ... The teams tied 27-27 in a game played in 2016 in Cincinnati. ... Washington has won two straight in the series just once, in 1979 and ‘85. ... Washington has outscored Cincinnati in the series 244-224. ... This is the teams’ first game in Cincinnati since 2008. They played to a tie in London in 2016.

Daniels has also run 26 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns in his first two NFL games. ... Robinson’s 133 yards rushing against New York were by far the most of his career. ... RB Austin Ekeler has seven receptions for 99 yards to go along with 10 carries for 48 yards rushing. ... TE Zach Ertz is four catches from tying Jimmy Graham at 719 for the seventh most by a tight end in league history. ... The Commanders committed five false start penalties in the red zone last week, contributing to going 0 for 6 on those drives and settling for a field goal each time. ... Austin Seibert’s seven field goals against the Giants days after signing with Washington were the most in a single game in franchise history. ... DT Jonathan Allen is one sack away from 40 in his career. ... LB Frankie Luvu led the Commanders with 11 tackles against the Giants. ... The Bengals have allowed 319 yards rushing in the first two games. ... WR Ja'Marr Chase, who didn't practice during training camp as he awaited a long-term contract extension, has just 10 catches for 97 yards. His unsportsmanlike conduct penalty last week killed a fourth-quarter drive. ... The Bengals are struggling to get their running game going. Zack Moss and Chase Brown have combined for 65 yards at Kansas City. ... TE Mike Gesicki was Cincinnati's top receiver in Week 2, making seven catches for 91 yards. ... WR Andrei Iosivas caught two touchdown passes, the first ones of the season for Cincinnati. ... DE Trey Hedrickson sacked Patrick Mahomes twice in last week's game.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin has only been targeted 12 times by Daniels so far, making eight catches for 39 yards. As their rapport continues to develop, McLaurin could be ready for a breakout game.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass against the New York Giants during the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Florian Wirtz is only 21 and he's already one of the most experienced players in a new-look Germany team.

As Germany switches focus to the 2026 World Cup, injuries, retirements and a short-term focus on Euro 2024 have left it with a Nations League squad that lacks international experience but isn't especially young either.

Wirtz, the star attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen, is the second youngest player in the squad but also the fifth most experienced player on 25 caps, as Germany prepares to play Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday and the Netherlands on Monday.

None of the three goalkeepers in the squad — Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nübel and Oliver Blaswich — have ever played for Germany. With Barcelona's Marc-André ter Stegen injured for months to come, one of them will have to step up.

Six of coach Julian Nagelsmann’s preferred players were unavailable with injuries as of Tuesday; Leipzig left back David Raum the latest to drop out. New faces such as Jamie Leweling, Jonny Burkardt and Tim Kleindienst are Bundesliga regulars but untested at international level.

“Though it's a shame that this time we have to do without some injured regulars who contributed through the home Euros in the summer, we're very much looking forward to seeing our new players in the team environment and in training,” coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Monday in remarks reported by dpa.

Even before Bayern's Jamal Musiala, Arsenal's Kai Havertz and West Ham's Niclas Füllkrug all dropped out injured, Germany's squad was looking threadbare after a spate of high-profile retirements following the run to the quarterfinals at Euro 2024.

Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Ilkay Gündogan and Thomas Müller called time on Germany after Euro 2024, taking a combined 451 caps' worth of experience with them.

There's a wider effect, too, from the pressure Germany felt to succeed when it hosted Euro 2024.

Short-term thinking was Germany's official policy when Nagelsmann was appointed last year on a contract that ran only through to Euro 2024, and he focused on getting a misfiring group of experienced players to gel again. Nagelsmann later extended his stay through to the 2026 World Cup.

Germany can usually count on Musiala and Wirtz, two of the brightest young talents in world soccer, but other young players once hyped as Germany's future have yet to break through.

Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi has lacked consistency and had injury problems. Striker Youssoufa Moukoko and defender Armel Bella-Kotchap were Adeyemi's teammates at the 2022 World Cup but haven't been selected since. Progress seems to have stalled for 21-year-old forward Maximilian Beier since he joined Dortmund this season, too.

One player who'll be expected to perform against Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands is Bayern forward Serge Gnabry, back in the team after 11 months away.

In a sign of how much things have changed, Gnabry's 22 international goals mean he's scored more for Germany than everyone else in the squad put together.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz watches during a training session ahead of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan in Leverkusen, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)