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After a thrilling Sunday of NFL action, Week 3 continued with two more games for fans to sink their teeth into.
There were teams looking to get their first win, one looking to continue its perfect start and another looking for signs of promise from their rookie quarterback.
Here are the main storylines from Monday’s action.
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Sometimes a rookie has a ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment.
And that was the case for Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels Monday night as he starred in Washington’s stunning 38-33 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Daniels, No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, missed just two of his 23 passes, throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns and running for another in a near perfect performance in his primetime debut.
The 23-year-old’s combination of accuracy with his arm and elusiveness with his legs proved a thorn in the side of the Bengals defense all evening at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
Daniels also made history with his outing: his 91.3% completion percentage was the highest ever in a game for a rookie, according to the NFL. He also became the first player since at least 1950 to throw for 250 yards and multiple touchdowns, rush for a score and complete 90+% of his passes according to the NFL.
On top of that, Daniels became the third rookie quarterback since 2000 – after Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert – to have a passing and rushing touchdown in the same primetime game.
“I just said I’m a competitor,” Daniels said when asked what he showed the NFL. “I want to compete at the highest level. Obviously, it’s a blessing to go out there each and every Sunday to do things that a lot of people in the world can’t do. To be blessed to be a part of one of the 32 teams and go out there and compete every Sunday, and Mondays, or whenever we play.”
Daniels’ second touchdown pass of the evening with 2:10 left in the game effectively sealed the victory, connecting with Terry McLaurin on a 27-yard pass to put Washington up 12 points.
The Bengals scored on a Zach Moss one-yard rush with 40 seconds left to cut the lead to five, but it wasn’t enough as the Commanders picked up their second win of the season.
Afterwards, first-year Washington head coach Dan Quinn was full of praise for his rookie signal-caller.
“He’s a really cool customer and he’s got real poise about him,” Quinn told reporters. “Going in, we knew the importance of the ball and the decision-making for that. We just couldn’t give them short fields and chances to go.
“So, his ability to know when to, when not to, when to make a play with his legs, we’ve seen a lot of this at practice, and now it’s carrying into the games where the decision-making, sliding, going, taking your shot, I thought it was a really strong performance tonight by him.”
While the win springboards Washington’s season, the defeat compounds the Bengals’ woeful start to their campaign.
Cincinnati is now winless through three weeks of the season and Monday’s loss was its second defeat at home to a surprising opponent after losing to the New England Patriots in Week 1.
While quarterback Joe Burrow and the rest of the offense looked like a potent threat, the Bengals defense failed to lay a glove on Washington’s offense as Daniels was able to continue scoring at will. Such was the success of both offenses, the contest was the first NFL game since 1940 to not feature a turnover or a punt, according to Bleacher Report
A Super Bowl run was the expectation ahead of the season but that seems a longshot after a 0-3 beginning.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen put on a spectacular show to drive Buffalo to a dominant 47-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
Allen exploded in the first half at Highmark Stadium, completing 22 of his 28 throws for 247 yards and four touchdowns as the Bills raced into a 34-3 lead at the break.
The second half was a much slower affair with the result already wrapped up as Buffalo improved to 3-0 to start the season.
Apart from the offensive explosion in the first half, the opening 30 minutes saw a special moment as Damar Hamlin – playing in his first Monday night game since suffering a cardiac arrest last year – recorded his first career interception.
The Bills safety collapsed during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January last year after making a tackle and taking a shot to the head and chest area. Medical professionals performed CPR when he lost his pulse and he needed to be revived through resuscitation and defibrillation. He was on a ventilator for days and spent more than a week in a Cincinnati hospital.
It was later determined that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was caused by commotio cordis, which can occur when severe trauma to the chest disrupts the heart’s electrical charge and causes dangerous fibrillations (or abnormal heartbeats).
On Monday night, Hamlin picked off Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence midway through the second quarter, running the ball back 19 yards to the Jacksonville 41-yard line before celebrating in front of the crowd with his teammates.
“It’s special, man,” Hamlin told ESPN of his teammates’ reaction. “They were a big part of me being able to make this type of comeback. They pushed me. They gave me love, they gave me grace, they gave me everything I needed on the journey, and they was even happier than I was to get my first interception.
“That just shows the community and the bond that we have here in Buffalo. It’s truly a special place, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
As for the Jaguars, Monday’s defeat means the team begins the season winless through three weeks with very few points of positivity.
Lawrence struggled to match Allen’s offensive explosion, throwing for just 178 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was benched late in the game for Mac Jones to protect him from injury.
Afterwards, Jags head coach Doug Pederson was frank in his assessment of his team’s performances through three weeks.
“It’s real shocking. Very disappointed. You hate to say it, but the reality of it is this is who we are right now,” Pederson told reporters. “We’re not a very good football team and we’ve got to get it fixed. We’ve got to come up with some answers and we’ve got to do it in a hurry.”
Away vs. home (winners in bold)
Jacksonville Jaguars 10-47 Buffalo Bills
Washington Commanders 38-33 Cincinnati Bengals
