Bengals vs. Commanders: How to watch and follow

The Washington Commanders welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to FedEx Field on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:05 pm ET.

For Cincinnati, there will again be no Joe Burrow, but that’s probably the least surprising thing for fans to hear. He will still be rehabbing a calf strain to ensure he is healthy for the team’s September 10th Week 1 matchup with the Browns in Cleveland.

Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning will continue to battle for the backup spot. Neither has shown much competence through two preseason games. The hope is that neither is needed in what should be the most competitive division in football. All four teams, with the Steelers having an outside shot, could be over .500 this season. Cincinnati is expected to have another deep postseason run.

For what it’s worth, head coach Zac Taylor indicated that fourth-stringer Reid Sinnett will play much of this game, so we may not see much of the Browning - Siemian battle play out Saturday.

Cincinnati lost to the Green Bay Packers 31-19 at home to open the preseason, then tied the Falcons on the road 13-13 in Week 2.

For Washington, there is far more unknown. The battle at quarterback Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett will continue, though Howell is expected to win the battle.

How the offense operates under Eric Bienemy, who the team brought in from Kansas City, will be intriguing as well. The Commanders beat the Browns 17-15 in Week 1 of preseason action, then took down the Ravens 29-28, ending a streak of more than 20-plus preseason wins in a row for Baltimore.

In terms of the Bengals’ roster battles, some of the most notable ones to watch for this week include:

• Michael J. Thomas vs. Tycen Anderson for the final S spot.
• Jay Tufele vs. Josh Tupou for the final NT spot.
• Trent Taylor vs. Stanley Morgan for the final WR spot (if the Bengals keep seven WRs).
• Raymond Johnson III vs. Jeff Gunter vs. Tarell Basham for the final DE spot.

Now, here’s what you need to know for Saturday’s preseason action!

How to Watch Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Commanders

Time: 6:05 pm ET on Aug. 26, 2023

Location: FedEx Field in Summerfield, MD

TV Channel: Bengals Preseason TV Network for in-marketers.

Announcers: The game will be called by the Bengals’ preseason crew of Mike Watts, Anthony Munoz, and Marisa Contipelli.

Radio: Bengals Radio Network with Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham calling the action.

Online Stream: The game will be streamed for free in-market on Bengals.com and the Bengals app. If you are out of market, you can use NFL+ or a free trial of fuboTV.

Odds: The Bengals are 4.5-point underdogs.

Rosters: Bengals | Commanders