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NFL Week 3 recap, Monday: Rookie QB makes history in Washington’s upset win over Bengals, Bills dominate Jaguars
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NFL Week 3 recap, Monday: Rookie QB makes history in Washington’s upset win over Bengals, Bills dominate Jaguars



CNN

After an exciting Sunday full of NFL action, Week 3 continued with two more games for fans to sink their teeth into.

Some teams wanted to get their first win, one wanted to continue its perfect start and another was waiting for promising signs from its rookie quarterback.

Here are the main storylines from Monday’s action.

Sometimes a rookie experiences a “welcome to the NFL” moment.

And that was Monday night for Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the star of Washington’s stunning 38-33 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Daniels, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, missed just two of his 23 passes, threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another – a near-perfect performance in his prime-time debut.

The 23-year-old’s combination of precision with his arm and agility with his legs was a thorn in the side of the Bengals’ defense all evening at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

Daniels also made history with his performance: According to the NFL, his passing percentage of 91.3% was the highest a rookie has ever achieved in a game. According to the NFL, he was also the first player since at least 1950 to throw for 250 yards and multiple touchdowns, score a touchdown, and complete over 90% of his passes.

In addition, Daniels became the third rookie quarterback since 2000, joining Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert, to score a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in a single prime-time game.

“I just said I’m a competitor,” Daniels said when asked what he’s shown the NFL. “I want to compete at the highest level. Obviously, it’s a blessing to go out every Sunday and do things that a lot of people in the world don’t get to do. To be blessed to be part of one of the 32 teams and go out and compete every Sunday and Monday or whenever we play.”

Daniels scored a total of three touchdowns in the win over the Bengals.

With 2:10 minutes left in the game, Daniels sealed the victory with his second touchdown pass of the night, throwing the ball to Terry McLaurin on a 27-yard pass to give Washington a 12-point lead.

The Bengals scored a touchdown with 40 seconds left on a one-yard run by Zach Moss to cut the lead to five, but it was not enough and the Commanders took their second win of the season.

Afterwards, Washington’s new head coach Dan Quinn praised his rookie playmaker highly.

“He’s a really cool guy and has real poise,” Quinn told reporters. “We knew from the beginning how important the ball and the decisions were. We just couldn’t give them short pitches and chances.”

“His ability to know when to play with his legs and when not to is something we’ve seen a lot in practice. Now that’s translating into games where it’s all about decision-making, sliding, walking and shooting. I thought he had a really strong performance tonight.”

While the win gets Washington’s season off the ground, the loss compounds the Bengals’ miserable start to the season.

Cincinnati is now winless through three weeks of the season, and Monday’s loss was the second home loss to a surprise opponent after the loss to the New England Patriots in Week 1.

While quarterback Joe Burrow and the rest of the offense posed a serious threat, the Bengals defense could not stop Washington’s offense as Daniels continued to score at will. The success of both offenses was so great that the game was the first NFL game since 1940 without a turnover or a punt, according to Bleacher Report.

Before the season, a place in the Super Bowl was expected, but after an 0-3 start, that seems unlikely.

Burrow threw three touchdowns in the loss to the Commanders.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen put on a spectacular show, leading 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 took a 34-3 lead at halftime.

Things slowed down a lot in the second half and the outcome was already decided as Buffalo improved its record to 3-0 earlier in the season.

Aside from the offensive explosion in the first half, there was a special moment in the first 30 minutes when Damar Hamlin – playing in his first Monday night game since suffering a cardiac arrest last year – recorded the first interception of his career.

The Bills safety collapsed during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January last year after making a tackle and taking a blow to the head and chest area. Medics performed CPR when he lost his pulse and had to be revived through CPR 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 interrupts the heart’s electrical charge, causing dangerous atrial fibrillation (or abnormal heart rhythm).

On Monday night, Hamlin intercepted a pass from Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence midway through the second quarter, ran the ball back 19 yards to Jacksonville’s 41-yard line, then celebrated with his teammates in front of the crowd.

“This is special, man,” Hamlin told ESPN of his teammates’ reaction. “They’re a big part of me making this comeback. They pushed me. They gave me love and grace, they gave me everything I needed along the way, and they were even happier than I was when I made my first interception.”

“It just shows the community and the connection we have here in Buffalo. It’s really a special place and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

For the Jaguars, Monday’s defeat means that the team will start the season three weeks without a win and with very few positive points.

Lawrence struggled to keep up with Allen’s offensive power, 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.

Bills quarterback Allen (left) shakes hands with Jaguars quarterback Lawrence (right) after Buffalo's win.

Afterwards, Jags head coach Doug Pederson spoke openly about his team’s performance over the past three weeks.

“It’s really shocking. Very disappointing. People hate to say it, but the reality is that’s where we are right now,” Pederson told reporters. “We’re not a very good football team and we’ve got to fix that. We’ve got to come up with answers and we’ve got to come up with answers fast.”

Away vs. Home (winner in bold)

The game against the Jacksonville Jaguars ended 10-47. Buffalo Bills

Washington Commanders 38-33 Cincinnati Bengals

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