The Commanders got the win against the Bengals on MNF as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels made football history.
It seemed as if some people were overreacting to the Washington Commanders nail-biter of a win over the New York Giants in Week Two. The Commanders 21-18 victory over their NFC East rivals definitely got Washington fans excited. But the Commanders’ rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels saved his coming out party for Monday Night Football in Week Three.
The number two pick in the 2024 draft was brilliant Monday Night. He went 21/23 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, adding 39 rushing yards and another score on the ground in the Commanders’ commanding 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
And, Daniels made history in his MNF debut. The young passer set a new single game record for the highest completion percentage by a rookie in NFL history, per Clutchpoints on X. Daniels put the ball in the air 23 times against the Bengals on Monday night, completing 91.3 percent of his passes. Daniels broke Dak Prescott’s record of 88.9 percent, which he set during his rookie season in 2016. Surprisingly, Gardner Minshew has the third-highest ever completion percentage for a rookie with 88 percent, which he accomplished in his 2019 rookie campaign.
Daniels had a game to remember. He produced a passer rating of 141.7. And the first-year signal caller protected the ball. The Commanders trusted Daniels with 35 plays and he rewarded the team by committing zero turnovers.
Jayden Daniels made history in the Commanders MNF win
Daniels’ counterpart, Joe Burrow, also had a good game. The Bengals QB went 29/38 for 324 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Burrow added one rush for four yards.
Nonetheless, Daniels was ready for the national stage, keeping the pressure on Cincinnati with big play after big play. Daniels demonstrated what he’s capable of both through the air and on the ground in Week Three. With just under three minutes remaining in the first half, Daniels uncorked a brilliant 55-yard bomb to Terry McLaurin to get the Commanders down to the four yard line. The rookie ran it in himself on the following play to put Washington up 21-10 just before halftime.
Daniels put the game away just before the two minute warning in the fourth quarter, finding McLaurin again with a beautiful pass to the back of the end zone. The touchdown put the Commanders up 38-26. The Bengals would come back to score but it was too late, nothing could spoil Daniels’ night as he led Washington to the big 38-33 win in prime time.
With the victory the Commanders improved to 2-1 on the young season. Daniels and company head to Arizona for a showdown with the Cardinals in Week Four. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray made some history of his own in Week Two, becoming just the second QB ever to have a perfect passer rating while throwing for at least 250 yards and running for 50 yards.
