Jayden Daniels stood in the pocket against a strong Bengals defense, took a hit from safety Geno Stone, and threw a perfect pass to Terry McLaurin in the end zone. McLaurin caught the ball while staying in bounds, despite the tackle.
In his third NFL game and first under the spotlight, Daniels was on fire.
The second overall pick in the draft threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in a very impressive game, leading the Commanders to a surprising 38-33 win over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.
“He’s really calm and has great poise,” said Washington coach Dan Quinn about his quarterback.
Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards, setting a rookie record for completion percentage at 91.3%. The Commanders (2-1) scored on every possession except for kneel-downs at the end of each half, and they have not punted or turned the ball over in their last two games.
“That’s crazy,” Daniels said about his record. He added that he couldn’t remember being that efficient at any level before.
Neither team punted or had a turnover, which is the first time that’s happened in a game during the Super Bowl era.
Burrow threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, but the Bengals (0-3) couldn’t keep pace. This is their worst start since losing their first 11 games in 2019.
Daniels’ first career touchdown pass was a 1-yard throw to eligible tackle Trent Scott to begin the second half. This was the second game in a row that the Bengals allowed a touchdown to a lineman.
“They were all confused on defense,” Daniels said. “We got a sneaky one.”
The Commanders were holding onto a 31-26 lead when Daniels found McLaurin for a 27-yard touchdown with 2:10 left, sealing the game.
“I put in the work,” said Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy last year at LSU. “What’s done in the dark will always come to light. I prepare for these moments every week. I just have to go out there and play football and execute.”
In the first half, Washington got rushing touchdowns from Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, and Daniels himself.
McLaurin had four catches for 100 yards.
The Bengals couldn’t score a touchdown on three drives in the first half, with Evan McPherson kicking two field goals and missing another.
