The Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in the exact situation they were at this time last year. After starting 0-2 for a third consecutive season, the Bengals head into a must-win Week 3 matchup on “Monday Night Football” at home vs. the Washington Commanders.

Only the opponent and quarterback Joe Burrow’s health are different from what the Bengals were dealing with at this time last year. Burrow was dealing with a lingering calf injury heading into the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Cincinnati ending up beating the Rams 19-16 to get to 1-2 on the year and the Bengals hope the same outcome happens against the Commanders.

Despite the consistent slow starts, Burrow reiterates that he’s not frustrated.

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“I wouldn't say I'm frustrated right now,” Burrow said on Thursday. “I was frustrated on Sunday. That was tough loss, but we've just got to go out and get a win. We've got to focus on getting better every day through our practice and go out and execute when we have to execute on Monday, the rest will take care of itself. So, you know, we're, we're in a fine spot, you know, we've been here before. We're not panicking. We’re focused on getting a win and getting better every day.”Record wise, the Bengals aren’t where they want to be and Burrow insists no one is panicking. With that being said, Burrow understands the importance of this next game. Cincinnati’s season could take a drastic turn for the worse if the Bengals were to lose to the Commanders.

Only six teams have overcome an 0-3 start to make the postseason since 1979. The last team to do so was the Houston Texans in 2018.

Simply put, Cincinnati needs to beat Washington to avoid putting themselves in a massive hole they would have an extremely hard time getting out of. There’s also the fact the Bengals need to start beating teams they are better than and that’s the case with Washington.

The Bengals entered this season with Super Bowl expectations – inside and outside of the locker room – and if they’re going to go on a run, it must start on Monday night.

It’s been an emotional year for Burrow for many reasons. Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback battled back from a gruesome wrist injury and was able to complete a training camp without an injury for the first time since 2021.

With a healthy Burrow, all of the excuses for a slow start were thrown out the window. Then, Week 1 happened, and the Bengals suffered a disappointed home loss to a team they should have beaten in the New England Patriots.

Cincinnati recovered from the loss to New England with a strong performance on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it wasn’t enough. The Bengals lost to the Chiefs in the final seconds of the game to fall to 0-2 on the year, once again.

Burrow acknowledges the weight all of this has carried on him while also stating his excitement for the opportunity to turn the season around under the bright lights.

“It’s been a tough six to eight months and a frustrating couple of weeks, an emotional couple of weeks,” Burrow said. “Emotional Week 1 because I was just excited to get back out there. An emotional Week 2 because that was a hard-fought, tough battle that we didn’t come out on top. Didn’t quite make enough plays to win. We’re just excited to be back out there, excited for the opportunity on Monday.”

The Bengals host a young Commanders team that features a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels and a new coaching staff. Washington drafted Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft out of LSU. Burrow and Daniels have a relationship due to their LSU ties and Burrow is a fan of the young quarterback’s game.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Burrow said. “I really like his throwing motion. Seems like he can spin it and understands his fundamentals. I think he’s got a bright future. Obviously, he’s really fast and quick and dynamic. But I’m not sure he gets enough credit for the passer that he is. He’s going to continue to learn and continue to improve.”

Washington is coached by Dan Quinn who is in his second stint as a head coach in the NFL. Top to bottom, the Bengals have a better roster than the Commanders and enter the game as a 7.5-point favorite to win.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joe Burrow: Bengals must 'go out and get a win' on Monday night