It's definitely possible to have decent to good stats in various areas and still be mediocre. Like, having a ton of shots and more than average assists but no goals as a striker. Having a lot of touches and successfully completed passes but no assists and no real engagement in the opponents end to create chances as a midfielder. Winning a lot of duals but being on a defense letting in the most goals. That's definitely the eyeball test you're talking about, he's not an impact player to any real degree.
I missed this game because of family stuff (and forgot to record it) but watched all 90 minutes of the first, and I can tell you that I was glass-half-full after the first and was a little bit shocked that the consensus was so negative. Still, needing this much luck to steal points from Cincy does suggest that we're more lucky than good-ish right now.
Historically, a 0-0 game in stoppage time is one that DC would have blown. So, coming out of the Cincinnati game with three points is a happy surprise.