Near-perfect Daniels, Commanders make statement in win over Bengals

CINCINNATI — Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders stole the show in their 38-33 upset victory over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on “Monday Night Football.”

Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, led the Commanders down the field for touchdowns on each of their first four full drives to build a 28-13 lead midway through the third quarter and held off the Bengals from there. The former Heisman winner from LSU showed off his dual-threat ability in the win. He tossed two TDs and ran for one, finishing the night 21-of-23 for 254 yards while running for another 39 on 12 carries.

Meanwhile, the Bengals’ offense struggled to find its rhythm for most of the game but made its push in the second half. A fourth-down touchdown pass from Burrow to second-year wide receiver Andrei Iosivas pulled Cincinnati within a score with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Washington answered that with a field goal before Burrow found Chase for the pair’s second TD connection of the night with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter to make the score 31-26. But Daniels had the final say, spectacularly capping off a 12-play, 70-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes with a perfect 27-yard TD pass down the sideline to wideout Terry McLaurin to seal the impressive win.

The Commanders improved to 2-1 on the season. The Bengals dropped to 0-3.

Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:

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The Commanders appear to have found a young quarterback to build around.

Rookie Jayden Daniels revealed himself to the NFL world, completing 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He also rushed 12 times for 39 yards.

Daniels hurt Cincinnati with his arm — dropping a perfect pass to receiver Terry McLaurin for a 55-yard gain to set up the Commanders’ third touchdown in the first half. Then, three plays after converting a fourth-and-4, Daniels was drilled by a blitzing defender — and placed another perfect ball to McLaurin for the game-clinching 27-yard touchdown pass.

Daniels hurt the Bengals with his legs, too, scrambling for a 4-yard touchdown run around left end two plays after McLaurin’s 55-yard catch.

Washington has looked for a franchise quarterback for a long time, through first-round picks (four since 2002), trades and free agent signings. The Commanders started 10 quarterbacks in the previous five years. Through three games, Washington can finally look to the future with excitement thanks to Daniels.

Promising performance: Running back Austin Ekeler. Before leaving early in the third quarter with a concussion, Ekeler gained 119 all-purpose yards, with 62 coming on a kick return. Ekeler has looked good since training camp opened and showed excellent burst on a 24-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Defending receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals wide receiver is one of the most dangerous skill players in the NFL. He scored touchdowns on catches of 41 and 31 yards when the Commanders opted for single-high coverage, leaving corners Mike Sainristil and Benjamin St-Juste with no help on Chase’s respective touchdowns.

Pivotal play: Washington converted a fourth-and-4 with 4 minutes, 25 seconds left in the game from the Bengals’ 38-yard line. The Commanders could have attempted a 56-yard field goal or punted and played defense. Instead, they opted to go for it, and Daniels completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz. Three plays later, Daniels clinched it with a touchdown pass to McLaurin.

Troubling trend: Defending the run. Washington entered Monday night ranked 29th vs. the run, allowing 5.1 yards per carry. But the Commanders allowed 6.2 yards per carry Monday night. They’ve used a lot of two-deep safety looks, keeping an extra defender out of the box, but they must play better along the front. — John Keim

Next game: vs. Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 29)

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For the second time in three games, the Bengals were big home favorites over a team that had a rough 2023 season. And yet again, Cincinnati suffered a stunning upset.

Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders topped the Bengals 38-33 to send Cincinnati to an 0-3 start.

Daniels produced a masterful performance. Washington scored touchdowns on five of its first six drives, including a 27-yard pass from Daniels to wide receiver Terry McLaurin to salt away the win with 2:10 left.

Before the season started, the Bengals were in the conversation to challenge Kansas City for the AFC title. But a third AFC title meeting in four seasons between the teams seems very distant right now. According to ESPN Research, only six teams have reached the playoffs in the Super Bowl era after an 0-3 start to the season.

Troubling trend: Failing to convert possessions into touchdowns was an issue last week against the Kansas City Chiefs and persisted against Washington. In the second quarter, Cincinnati had three drives inside Washington’s 30-yard line. The Bengals settled for field goal tries on all three of them. Kicker Evan McPherson made 2 of 3 attempts.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Containing Daniels. The rookie quarterback made running the offense look effortless in his third career start. Daniels completed 14 of his first 16 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled for one touchdown to help the Commanders torch Cincinnati’s defense. Washington scored touchdowns on its first four drives. — Ben Baby

Next game: vs. Carolina Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 29)