CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had no intention of making the playoffs after Monday night’s surprising 38-33 loss to the Washington Commanders.

Burrow reiterated that the Bengals have a “long way to go” after suffering their third straight loss to open the season, the team’s worst start since 2019, the year before Burrow arrived.

“We’re not out of the game yet, but the playoffs and winning the division are the last thing on my mind,” Burrow said.

Cincinnati’s star quarterback expressed a similar sentiment after a Week 2 loss to Kansas City in a matchup between the two AFC Championship Game finalists in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. But the most recent loss wasn’t against the same caliber of competition. Washington (2-1) failed to score a touchdown in last week’s win over the New York Giants and was led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was drafted with the No. 2 pick after the Commanders’ four-win season last year.

Daniels and the Commanders had no trouble finding the end zone Monday. Washington scored touchdowns on five of its six true drives, including a 27-yard pass from Daniels to Terry McLaurin with 2:10 left that proved to be the winning margin. Daniels had an equal number of touchdowns (two) and incompletions.

Normally, Burrow goes straight to the Cincinnati locker room after a game when he leaves the field. On Monday, however, he and coach Zac Taylor went to the coaches’ office through a separate entrance. Burrow said it was a mutual decision to talk to Taylor after the game.

“It was a very positive conversation,” said Burrow, who declined to go into details. “We’re not happy with where we are right now, but the season is far from over. We’re 0-3, 14 games left.”

To add to the frustration, two of the Bengals’ losses came against some of the league’s worst teams in 2023. Washington and New England, Cincinnati’s Week 1 opponent, each won just four games last year. Those two teams, along with Arizona, were tied for the second-lowest winning percentage in the NFL. All of Cincinnati’s losses to start this season have been by seven points or fewer.

Taylor said the Bengals need to create their own chances and do a better job of pacing the game.

“There’s no unit that really dominates to take the pressure off the other unit, so it falls on everybody,” Taylor said. “It’s frustrating. It’s a kick in the gut when you put in all this work in the offseason, in training camp, and you feel really good about the team and you start off 0-3.”

Taylor pointed out that Washington scored on every drive for the second straight week; against the Giants in Week 2, Washington ended every drive with a field goal. The Commanders’ success against Cincinnati on Monday came after cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt described the group led by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury as a “nice, college offense.”

Taylor said there was no reason to shoot an opponent and the two had a conversation. Taylor-Britt had no problem with his comments, even after the loss.

“I don’t regret it,” Taylor-Britt said Monday night at his locker. “I didn’t mean it in a malicious way. It was blown out of proportion. Yeah, I can eat my words, absolutely. We suffered a (loss) today.”

Cincinnati will look to bounce back next week against the Carolina Panthers, who had the league’s worst record last season. Carolina is led by quarterback Andy Dalton, who started for the Bengals from 2011-19 before being replaced by Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Burrow, a former Pro Bowler who completed 29 of 38 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns against Washington, said he may have to make some changes in how he handles the team as the Bengals try to find their way.

“That’s going to be a critical thinking process that I’m going to have to do,” Burrow said. “Looking at what kind of leader I want to be in the future, what I think the team needs from me in the future.”