The Week 3 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals was heralded as a battle between two of Louisiana State’s best quarterbacks and the school’s two most recent Heisman Trophy winners.
It certainly was what was expected.
Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels both had high-scoring games, with Burrow becoming just the second quarterback to throw for 300-plus yards and three-plus touchdowns in a game in the 2024 NFL season, joining Andy Dalton.
But it was Daniels who stole the show, leading the Commanders to a 38-33 upset win.
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Daniels had a fantastic game that showed why Washington selected him as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, as he showed off not only elite-level mobility but also impressive passing ability downfield.
But best of all, Daniels was precise and efficient in just his third NFL start, helping him set a rookie record and lead the Commanders to a surprising 2-1 start to the season.
Jayden Daniels’ performance against the Bengals
Here’s Daniels’ performance in the Commanders’ 38-33 win over the Bengals:
Completion rate/attempt rate (%): 21/23 (91.3%) Passing yards: 254 Passing TDs: 2 Passing rating: 141.7 Rushing yards: 39 Rushing TDs: 1
Daniels’ completion percentage set a new rookie record for completion percentage in a game in which a player attempted at least 20 passes. The previous record was 88.9 percent, set by Dak Prescott in 2016 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Daniels was every bit as accurate as the numbers suggest, with one notable error early in the game when, while dealing with inside pressure, he threw the ball well behind and over Terry McLaurin when McLaurin had a free, long touchdown opportunity.
Daniels then showed off some great passing ability, and maybe he saved the best play for last, with a perfect pass to McLaurin in the end zone on third down and seven yards that essentially sealed the game.
Daniels was dominant through the air but also played a key role in Washington’s ground game, leading the Commanders with 39 yards rushing and reaching the end zone on a read-option play early in the game.
Daniels’ dual-threat ability and efficiency are truly historic: He is the only Commanders rookie in NFL history (at least since 1950) to pass for 250 yards and two touchdowns, rush once and complete 90 percent of his passes, according to NFL researcher Tony Holtzman-Escareno.
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Indeed, Monday had a debut party feel to it for Daniels, who admitted in his post-game press conference that he wasn’t sure there had been a game in which he only completed two passes.
He also left the game confident that he was able to show exactly what he wanted to do on one of the NFL’s biggest stages.
“I’m a competitor,” Daniels told reporters, “I want to compete at the highest level. I’m blessed to be able to go out on the court every Sunday and do something that not a lot of people in the world get to do.”