The Washington Commanders sent a message to the rest of the NFL: they are going to compete with everyone. Jayden Daniels had a near-perfect game as the District of Columbia team beat them 38-33 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second game held in this Monday Night Football doubleheader.
In his third game as a professional, Daniels was accurate and only missed two of his passes (21-23) for 254 yards and two touchdown passes, with a 141.7 passer rating; he also ran 11 times for 40 yards and one visit to the promised zone in this area. That 91 percent effectiveness is the best record in a game for a rookie. Another interesting fact is that his first touchdown pass in the NFL was with an offensive lineman: Trent Scott, who was lined up in a special play and made an atypical reception for fronts, since they do not usually have this type of prominence.
The bad news for Washington is that starting running back Austin Ekeler (three carries for 35 yards and a touchdown) left the game due to concussion protocol, which could make them feel their absence in the following matches.
Daniels, the last Heisman Trophy winner in college football, surpassed the 2019 winner, Joe Burrow, who connected on 29 of his 38 passes for 324 yards and three touchdown passes (127.5 passer rating). Cincinnati continues to endure a crisis and a difficult start that has become a constant since they drafted this quarterback in 2020.
The locals tried to defend themselves
The Bengals respected their home field with the first call of the game and a fruitful offensive in which Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase with a perfect 41-yard pass, in which the quarterback demonstrated his precision and his receiver had the ball at the precise moment to not stop until the end zone.
But the Commanders made one thing clear: they were not going to be intimidated.. A good offensive possession tied the game when Brian Robinson ran a yard into the end zone. And Washington never let go of the lead after that: Austin Ekeler found a gap in the middle and from there turned to the sideline to escape 24 yards for a score.
A pair of Evan McPherson field goals helped Cincinnati stay afloat, as Jayden Daniels demonstrated his versatility as a running quarterback and scored on a four-yard run. Washington went into the break with the lead (21-13).
Total control
Daniels added to the lead by leading his team into the end zone and scoring on a one-yard pass to Trent Scott. Burrow responded with a two-yard pass to Andrei Iosivas and the Bengals were back to seven points. Austin Seibert scored a field goal and the Bengals’ hopes grew when Burrow connected with Chase again, with a second 31-yard touchdown, but failed on the two-point conversion to Tee Higgins, putting Cincinnati within five points (31-26).
It was on the next possession that Daniels showed the talent that gave him the vote of confidence to be the second pick in the 2024 Draft: the quarterback kept his offense alive and capped it off with a great 27-yard pass to Terry McLaurin, who entered the end zone and received a surgical pass from his quarterback to secure the reception and score.
A seven-and-a-half-minute offensive series that left Burrow and company with just over two minutes, as well as a difference of 12 points. The Bengals moved the chains and a pass interference put them at the 1 yard line.. After an incomplete pass, they took a chance on Zack Moss to score on the ground. But the Commanders (2-1) recovered the onside kick and put the Bengals off to an 0-3 start on the season.
MGC
