There was a lot of reaction on social media to Daniels’ performance:

On the other hand, Cincinnati’s defense was nil.

Washington did not punt or score a touchdown on five of the six possessions where it did not run out the clock at the end of the first half and game. The Bengals appear to be in trouble at 0-3, which has led to much criticism of the defensive effort:

Everything indicated that this would be a good game for the Bengals team that started the season with realistic Super Bowl ambitions.

It was at home, against a rookie quarterback and right after they nearly defeated the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs in a game that showed the team’s overall promise. It also marked the return of Tee Higgins from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the first two games, which should open up the offense.

That’s exactly what happened early on, when Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a deep touchdown on the game’s first possession.

But what seemed like the first step toward a landslide victory proved anything but. Daniels and the Commanders offense crushed Cincinnati’s lousy defense with touchdowns on the first four drives, not counting the kneeling at the end of the half.

The rookie quarterback threw a deep ball to McLaurin, found offensive lineman Trent Scott for a trick-play touchdown and scored with his legs. Throw in touchdowns by Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. as the Bengals offense stalled three straight field-goal attempts, and the home crowd was audibly frustrated as the deficit grew to 15.

While Burrow connected with Andrei Iosivas and Chase for two more touchdowns in the final stretch to give the Bengals a chance, Daniels had the answer every time. Never was that answer more clear than the touchdown to McLaurin, which came after he found Zach Ertz for a crucial fourth-down conversion earlier in the possession.

It was a memorable performance for the rookie, and he’ll look to build on it in Week 4 with another road game against the Arizona Cardinals.