3 biggest problems Bengals need to fix before Week 3 game vs. Commanders

Sure, the Cincinnati Bengals played better in Week 2 than they did in Week 1, but they still weren't able to walk away with a win. Now, they're 0-2 out of the gate for the third consecutive season. They really don't want to go 0-3, so a win over the Washington Commanders in Week 3 on Monday Night Football is imperative.

Here's a look at three problems the Bengals need to fix before their showdown with Washington in order to give themselves the best chance of walking away with their first win of the season.

Lack of involvement for Ja'Marr Chase

One problem that the Bengals definitely need to address is Ja'marr Chase's lack of involvement in the offense. In the first game of the season, Chase had six catches for 62 yards on six targets, and he followed that up with a four-catch, 35-yard performance against Kansas City in Week 2. He was targeted just five times in that game.

This is one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL. There's no reason that a player that talented should only have 10 receptions on 11 targets for 97 yards and zero touchdowns after a pair of contests, especially since Cincinnati's second-best receiver, Tee Higgins, missed both of those games.

The Bengals really need to find a way to get Chase going and get him more involved in the offense moving forward. Cincinnati's offensive attack is at its best when Chase is being used as a downfield threat, as that opens things up for the ground game, which is another problem area for Cincinnati.

An anemic ground game

Just like the Bengals need to get Chase more involved, they also have to get the ground game going. Through two games, the Bengals are averaging just 72 yards per game on the ground. That's third-worst in the entire NFL, just ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams.

In order to get some momentum going on the ground, the Bengals have to commit to it. Starting running back Zack Moss had just 21 total carries over the first two games, and second-string back Chase Brown had just seven attempts. Despite his limited opportunity, Brown has averaged an impressive 7.8 yards per carry so far this season. Perhaps the Bengals should give him a few more carries and see how it works out.

Run defense

While the Bengals have been struggling to get their own ground game going, they've also struggled to slow opponents on the ground. Cincinnati gave up 319 rushing yards over the first two games, which is an average of 159.5 yards per game. That's near the bottom of the league, and it's simply too many yards. It's tough to beat anyone when you allow the opponent to control the game through consistent ground success, so the Bengals need to find a way to tighten up up front.

With improvement on the ground on both sides of the ball, the Bengals should be able to bounce back and put themselves in position to get the first win of the season against Washington.