The Washington Commanders were huge underdogs this week on the road for Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. Next thing you know, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders took an early 14-7 lead over the Bengals and it was all gas no break from there on out. The Washington Commanders defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33, with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels balling out, finishing 21 of 23 for 254 yards passing, setting an NFL rookie record for completion percentage with 91.3%.
He spread the love on the ground and in the air, showed good decision-making when using his feet, and came up clutch when his team needed him to extend and finish drives. This was an outstanding performance from the Commanders, so let us go over what else stood out on Monday night football besides just Jayden Daniels’s historic performance.
Washington Commanders Performance On The Other Side Of The Ball
The Washington Commanders offense has shown a lot through three weeks of the regular season. They’ve shown they can compete with any other team in the league. The defense, however still has some work to do, although they do get better week by week. It was assumed that the Washington secondary would have a tough time against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and that’s what happened, but only at certain times. Washington was still committed to keeping plays in front of them, It’s like the Commander’s current formula is successful at limiting explosive plays, but not eliminating the opportunity for them.
The Commander’s pass rush needs to be better as well, although rookie Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Dante Fowler Jr. put in work. The Bengals’ O-line going had one of the best pass-block win rates in the NFL, but the Commanders have done a good job at winning their pass-rush reps. Washington’s problem stems from an inability to finish plays. The Commander’s defense did manage to get two sacks on Joe Burrow, but it’s clear that this defensive group still has a lot of work to do going forward.
Scary Terry Back To His Old Self Against The Cincinnati Bengals
Terry McLaurin had four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown to help seal the game. Everyone was expecting McLaurin to get more involved as we heard from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury Friday that he needs to find ways of getting McLaurin the ball. Terry McLaurin didn’t necessarily get an increase in targets, but Kingsbury did use him in ways that highlighted his skill set, mainly as a vertical threat. McLaurin’s first grab was a 55-yard longshot from Daniels that set up Washington inside the 5-yard line.
McLaurin had two catches on the final scoring drive and caught a 27-yard shot over Geno Stone. The Commanders have been making steady improvements on offense over the past few weeks. Terry McLaurin getting more involved is a sign that the squad is getting closer to where they want to be. Another part of the reason why the Commander managed to keep Joe Burrow off the field was because they took calculated risks on fourth downs, and whether you want to credit the play calling or the performance of the players, the fact is those gambles paid off.
Taking Risks On 4th Downs Ended Up Paying Off For Washington
Washington kept their offense on the field for three fourth-down attempts, starting with their opening drive of the game. At one point the Commanders had a shot at a 32-yard field goal, but Washington decided to put the ball in Jayden Daniels’ hands and had him drop back to find Luke McCaffery for a 30-yard gain that led to a Brian Robinson Jr. touchdown a couple of plays later. They relied on Daniels again at the start of the fourth quarter on a fourth-and-one.
The third conversion came on Washington’s final scoring drive. The offense needed to stay on the field to keep Joe Burrow at bay, this time, Daniels found Zach Ertz in the middle of the field for a nine-yard reception. The Washington Commanders are just one of just six teams with a 100% conversion rate on fourth down. For more articles like this one check out GridIronHeroics.com, and for more sports news and to stay up to date on what’s going on around the league follow me on X(Twitter) @Crain_Sports1
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