Oh what a game!!!

Washington took on Cincinnati in primetime on Monday night and the matchup did not disappoint. For those who like good offensive football, there was plenty to enjoy in this game. Neither team punted and there were no turnovers. Kliff Kingsbury’s offense was solid all night and Washington scored 38 points in the win.

One of the most refreshing parts of this game was the refereeing. The crew let both teams play for the most part (which is the point). The Commanders didn’t get a penalty until the fourth quarter.

Washington is now 2-1 on the young season, with a 4:05-minute showdown with Arizona on Sunday in the desert.

Below are my Studs and Duds from the game, followed by some notes.

Studs:

Jayden Daniels – Daniels was nearly perfect that night, completing 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 11 yards per completion and had a quarterback rating of 141.7. He was also Washington’s leading rusher with 39 yards and a touchdown. What a great primetime game for the entire country to watch!

Terry McLaurin – Fans were disappointed with Terry. Some said he might not even be the best receiver on this team. In typical McLaurin fashion, the veteran receiver came out and reminded fans why he is our WR1. He recorded four receptions on six targets for 100 yards and a touchdown – which was a work of art in itself!

Commanders Offensive Line (and tight ends) – The entire offensive line (and the blocking by the tight ends) gets a STUD from me for their outstanding performance against the Bengals. The running game never really got going, but this group gave Jayden a pretty clean pocket the entire game and only allowed one sack (Cincinnati had two sacks, but only one was pinned on the O-line). To top it all off, Trent Scott even scored a touchdown! Kudos to this group!

Austin Ekeler – Before leaving the game in the 2nd quarter after being evaluated for a concussion, Ekeler was completely dominant. He had a touchdown run of 24 yards, collected two catches for 11 yards and had a beautiful kickoff return for 62 yards.

Cliff Kingsbury – “College offense”… haha! That “college offense” put up 356 yards and scored 38 points while controlling the time of possession from 33:06 to 26:54. They didn’t punt, didn’t lose the ball the entire game, and committed only three penalties for 28 yards.

Blind:

Daron Payne/Jonathan Allen – Payne and Allen are the highest-paid defensive tackle duo in the league, but they play like a pair of undrafted free agents who just made the 53-man cut. The missed tackles, the undisciplined pass rushes, the lack of effort on plays are becoming more apparent with each passing week. The duo combined for just two tackles and two quarterback hits on the night.

Notes:

• Jer’Zhan Newton defeated both Jon Allen and Daron Payne on Monday night.

• Javontae Jean-Baptiste got his first sack against the Bengals Monday night and is starting to show that he belongs in this league.

• Noah Brown continues to prove his worth and has become WR2.

• Mike Sainristil was getting beaten hard by Ja’Marr Chase early in the match, but then he makes moves like this!

• Luke McCaffrey is starting to develop into a nice target for Daniels. I think he has a solid grip on WR3.

• Austin Seibert has a perfect 8-for-8 field goal scoring record through two games.

• Frankie Luvu is the best linebacker on this team.