The Bengals and Commanders met in Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season on "Monday Night Football." The Bengals won big in their preseason rematch.

Monday Night Football makes its glorious return this evening as the Cincinnati Bengals’ high-powered offense faces the Washington Commanders, live from Landover, Maryland.

The Bengals vs. Commanders game is tonight (Aug. 18), at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Monday Night Football for free. One option we love is DIRECTV, which comes with five days free and starts at $49.99/month, with plenty of subscription options and genre packs that include ESPN.

ESPN's Laura Rutledge and the "Monday Night Football" crew were in the nation's capital this evening to cover a preseason showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders. It didn't take long for fans to compliment her performance and appearance.

The 2025 regular season is officially just 17 days away, but there’s a lot of football that needs to be played before we get there. In the case of the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders, that means closing out the second week of the preseason with a victory.

Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson made the trip with the team for the game Monday night against the Commanders, but did not play.

One player who has benefited from the development has been former Illinois running back Chase Brown. After taking over as Cincinnati's starter in Week 6 last season, Brown has sprinted forward without looking back. He got five carries on Monday and rushed for 22 yards – and even scored the first touchdown of the game.

Washington Commanders resume Week 2 of 2025 NFL preseason hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football tonight. How to watch, stream and schedule.

Free-agent guard Dalton Risner reportedly is considering a visit with the Steelers, according to an ESPN report.