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Joe Burrow threw for 324 yards, three touchdowns and 0 interceptions in Monday’s recreation between his Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders.
And he may not have even been the most effective LSU quarterback in Paycor Stadium.
That’s as a result of rookie Jayden Daniels was good whereas main his staff to a second straight win with a 38-33 victory over the Bengals. He beat Cincinnati with each his arm (21-of-23 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and 0 interceptions) and his legs (39 dashing yards and one landing) within the actual sort of efficiency Washington envisioned when it chosen him with the No. 2 decide.
His largest second got here when he dropped a 27-yard landing go to Terry McLaurin proper within the bucket on third down with simply greater than two minutes remaining. It was an unbelievable throw and capped off a efficiency that Commanders followers will certainly bear in mind for years to return.
Social media had plenty of reactions for Daniels’ performance:
Matt Ryan @M_Ryan02
Jayden daniels dealing! Love how the @Commanders employees used him within the first half
On the flip facet, Cincinnati’s protection was nonexistent.
Washington did not punt and scored touchdowns on 5 of its six possessions the place it wasn’t working out the clock on the finish of the primary half and recreation. The Bengals look to be in some bother at 0-3, which led to no scarcity of criticism for the defensive effort:
Every little thing pointed to this being a get-right recreation for a Bengals staff that entered the season with practical Tremendous Bowl aspirations.
It was at residence, towards a rookie quarterback and proper after practically defeating the reigning-champion Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in a recreation that confirmed the staff’s general promise. It additionally marked the return of Tee Higgins from a hamstring damage that sidelined him for the primary two video games, which figured to open up the offense.
That is precisely what it did out of the gates, as Burrow discovered Ja’Marr Chase for a deep-ball landing on the sport’s first possession.
However what regarded like step one towards a blowout win was something however, as Daniels and the Commanders offense torched the abysmal Cincinnati protection with touchdowns on its first 4 possessions not counting kneeling out to finish the half.
The rookie quarterback uncorked a deep ball to McLaurin, discovered offensive lineman Trent Scott for a trick-play landing and scored utilizing his legs. Throw in touchdowns from Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. whereas the Bengals offense stalled for 3 straight field-goal makes an attempt, and the house crowd was audibly annoyed because the deficit expanded to fifteen.
Whereas Burrow related with Andrei Iosivas and Chase for 2 extra touchdowns down the stretch to provide the Bengals an opportunity, Daniels had the reply each single time. By no means was that reply clearer than the landing to McLaurin, which got here after he discovered Zach Ertz for a vital fourth-down conversion earlier on the possession.
It was a efficiency to recollect for the rookie, and he’ll look to construct on it in Week 4 with one other street recreation towards the Arizona Cardinals.