Just like that - Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders are the talk of the NFL.
It's what happens when you beat a team like the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in front of millions. Especially in the fashion the Commanders won. Sure, the Bengals were 0-2 coming into the game, but they were also -7.5 favorites before kickoff and many were expecting this to be their "right the ship" game that put them back on track toward contending for the playoffs.
Well, that never happened, because Daniels and the Commanders offense decided they were going to dominate the night and the rookie QB figured Monday night would be a perfect time for his coming out party.
The offense scored on every single possession outside of the kneel down before halftime, which technically doesn't count as a possession. Five of the six drives ended in touchdowns and the Commanders racked up 356 total yards and averaged 6.2 yards per play. The team committed zero turnovers and didn't punt a single time for the second-straight game. In fact, that's a new NFL record in the Super Bowl era: two straight games with zero turnovers and punts.
The Bengals defense simply couldn't stop the Commanders and that's a huge credit to Kliff Kingsbury and his crew, as Lou Anarumo is a top-3 defensive coordinator in the NFL. From running the ball, to passing it, and then third down (5-of-9), fourth down (3-of-3), and the red zone (3-of-3), Daniels and co. were rolling from the moment they took their first snap of the game.
"I thought Kliff called a great game," Quinn told reporters after the game. "... All week, all the different looks, the things we'd have to go through, especially down as we got work into the red zone. We knew third down [and] the red zone was going to be a really big part of this. I thought he and the staff and the guys really had a very clear understanding of what we would have to do and having those moments come up where you have to take your shot and deliver they weren't going to miss it."
As great as the Commanders offense was, the defense was absolutely horrid. If things don't improve then victories like Monday night's won't come as often. It's because that kind of win isn't sustainable in the NFL. It's rare for teams to average more than 30 points per game and it's even more rare for teams to win despite giving up 33 points in a single contest.
The root of the issue was the Commanders secondary, which allowed Joe Burrow to complete 29-of-38 passes for 324-yards and three touchdowns. I mean, he completed his first three passes of the game, the last one being a 41-yard bomb to Ja'Marr Chase that gave the Bengals their only lead of the game. Receivers were routinely running open and making plays because of a weak secondary and an inconsistent pass rush that, yes, recorded a season-high 2.0 sacks, but still lacked consistent pressure and hit Burrow just an additional five times.
The defense has had its fair share of struggles all season long and that was pretty much expected, considering the state of the roster. However, there are certainly questions surrounding the Bucs' and Giants' offenses after three weeks of play - the Bengals offense is certainly considered to be one of the NFL's elite.
Meaning, if the Commanders want to keep beating teams that are viewed as playoff contenders, especially the ones with elite offenses, then they have to find some kind of way to improve on the defensive side of the ball. As a whole.
Because if they don't, the feeling that comes from Monday night's big win will be short-lived, at best.
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