Jayden Daniels' final throw during his first NFL primetime game quieted the Cincinnati Bengals home crowd and lit up the Washington Commanders' fanbase.

With the ball at the Bengals' 27-yard line and the Commanders needing a score in the fourth quarter, Daniels dropped back and had less than three seconds to loft the ball up to Terry McLaurin. The quarterback paid for it by taking a lick from a free defender, but as McLaurin made the reception in the corner of the end zone, the hit, as well as the faith he put in his receiver, was worth it.

"I think he grew up tonight," McLaurin said in the locker room after Washington's 38-33 win.

Daniels was nearly perfect against the Bengals, setting a single-game rookie record with a 91.3% completion rate, and the fan base has been quick to proclaim the performance as his coronation. Regardless of how accurate that is, it's becoming clearer by the week that the Commanders have their quarterback of the future, and the players have someone they can rally around.

"He is the answer," said defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, "and we know he is."

Washington's offense, now sixth in yards and fifth in points, has become one of the biggest talking points around the league since their showing against the Bengals, and Daniels is at the center of all the praise. His 293-yard and three-touchdown night was only the latest step in Daniels development, which has continued to improve with few, if any, signs of regression since OTAs. He leads the league with an 80.3% completion rate and is seventh in QBR.

Daniels leads the rest of his fellow rookie quarterbacks in nearly every category, from passing yards (664) to passer rating (111.8) and yards per attempt (8.8).

"He's been continuing to grow on the job," said coach Dan Quinn.

Despite how much the Bengals, who pressured him on 13.3% of his dropbacks, per Pro Football Reference, or the Commanders' previous two opponents threw at him, Daniels was unrattled and picked apart defense with his arm and legs. Daniels' time to throw (2.43 seconds) has been the fourth quickest in the NFL, and while most of his throws have been 10 yards or fewer, two of his most explosive plays -- McLaurin's touchdown and 55-yard reception -- show that he is starting to gain more comfort making plays downfield.

"To come out here and do it when you've got to have it with the game on the line, that's what great players are about, and I think he's going to be well on his way if he continues to work," McLaurin said.

Daniels converted all three of the Commanders' fourth-down attempts, starting with a 30-yard completion to Luke McCaffrey that set up their first touchdown. He picked up the second with his legs, powering forward for four yards on a fourth-and-1. On the third, he found Zach Ertz for a nine-yard gain and helped set up McLaurin's game-winning score.

Daniels' knack for coming up with big moments has earned his teammates' trust.

"He played amazing. Some of those throws were just on point," said linebacker Bobby Wagner. "I didn't realize he had only two incompletions -- that's crazy. So, he's growing and gaining confidence, and you can see it."

There was hope that Daniels would put a stop to the team's decades-long search for an answer at quarterback. The team has been a turnstile at the position for the past five seasons, as 10 different signal-callers have started in that span. McLaurin, who caught passes from all of them in his career, felt that certain players could have been the answer, but none have been as solid as Daniels.

"For us to make that play, and for him to continue to make throws like that, use his feet to get first downs, the dude is tough, man."

Quinn, however, doesn't want Daniels to be compared to the quarterbacks of the past, not even the good ones. He wants Daniels to focus on himself and helping forge the team's future.

"I definitely understand our fanbase has been waiting for the franchise QB, but I also don't want Jayden feeling any ghosts," Quinn said. "Making sure he understands there's only one name on the back of that jersey, and that's for him."

And so far, Daniels' own legacy is shaping up nicely.

"He's a really cool customer and he's got real poise about him," Quinn said. "...It was good to see the next step of him of when to take the shot and when not to. So, I did learn a lot more...he's listening too and knowing the importance of that."