Kliff Kingsbury answers critics with Commanders' play-calling masterclass

The Washington Commanders pulled off a sensational upset at the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Dan Quinn's men were ready for the challenge and came out of the contest with tremendous credit, proving that this perennial struggling franchise will not be the walkover of recent years under his leadership.

There was an emphasis on the offense getting the job done. This contest quickly became a shootout with little defense being played on both sides. It put the onus squarely on the shoulders of Kliff Kingsbury to rise to the occasion with the national spotlight glaring.

If Kingsbury wanted any additional motivation heading into the clash, he got it courtesy of Bengals' cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. The player claimed Washington's offense was simple to figure out and was more like something you'd see in the collegiate ranks rather than the pros. This was added bulletin board material that galvanized the Commanders to their best offensive performance of the campaign by a considerable margin.

To make matters worse for Taylor-Britt, Terry McLaurin burned him deep for a 55-yard play that sparked the Commanders into life. Jayden Daniels was nothing short of sensational to announce himself on the NFL stage formally. Kingsbury called the perfect game to put his signal-caller in position to thrive. It was a match made in heaven.

Kliff Kingsbury answers critics with Commanders' play-calling masterclass

Taylor-Britt weirdly doubled down on his comments regarding Kingsbury's offense after the clash. This didn't go unnoticed by Washington's social media team, who made a point of holding the defensive back accountable for his ill-advised statement.

He also drew the ire of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who believed Taylor-Britt did his team no favors by unnecessarily stoking the fire and almost goading Kingsbury into letting Daniels loose on primetime.

"That's not what we do. We praise our own team. Praise the other team. We don't need to take shots like that. That team hasn't punted in two weeks. They've scored on every single possession the last two weeks. So I've got a tremendous amount of respect for what they're doing over there. I've known Kliff [Kingsbury] a long time. I knew paired with that quarterback, that this was going to be a very dangerous offense to play against and they've proven that so."

- Zac Taylor

The sweet taste of victory was vindication enough for Kingsbury. That's always the goal. However, one could forgive the former Arizona Cardinals head coach for having more satisfaction than most triumphs after seeing his offensive strategy scrutinized so heavily. God forbid he has Daniels' best interests at heart during his critical initial transition.

Kingsbury gets the chance to get one over on his old employers in Week 4. His players will be working tirelessly to ensure he gets some revenge. Looking at the way Washington's offense is growing with every passing contest, one couldn't rule out additional improvements and creativity versus the Cardinals.

The Commanders are riding on the crest of a wave through three weeks, topping the NFC East for good measure. If the same trend continues over the season, it won't be much longer before head coaching interviews arrive in Kingsbury's inbox.

Not bad for a play-caller running a college offense, right?

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