Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has arrived.
The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner saved his first breakout NFL performance for his primetime debut, torching the Bengals with his dual-threat skill set to lead Washington to an impressive 38-26 road win.
Daniels was under fire for failing to throw a touchdown pass in his first two games. That trend remained in the first half against Cincinnati, but he continued to put pressure on the defense with his feet.
He had 39 rushing yards on the night and pranced into the end zone in the second quarter for his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Daniels finally threw his first touchdown in the third quarter, giving Washington a commanding two-score lead when he found offensive tackle Trent Scott wide open in the end zone. The No. 2 overall pick saved his best throw for last, tossing a 27-yard dime of a touchdown to Terry McLaurin late in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
For more on Daniels' record-setting breakout night, The Sporting News has you covered below.
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Jayden Daniels stats today
- Comp-Att: 21-23 (91.3%)
- Pass Yds: 254
- Pass TDs: 2
- INTs: 0
- Carries: 12
- Rush Yds: 39
- Rush TDs: 1
Jayden Daniels sets NFL rookie QB completion percentage record
Daniels silenced anyone who criticized his throwing capabilities with his "Monday Night Football" performance.
The Commanders rookie quarterback completed 21-of-23 passing attempts, throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
His 91.3 completion percentage set an NFL rookie record for any quarterback with at least 20 pass attempts in a game.
Jayden Daniels was dealing. pic.twitter.com/h89iQbd7KF
— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2024
Daniels was surgical when the game mattered most.
Leading by five points with under 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the 23-year-old orchestrated a beautiful 12-play, 70-yard drive that chewed up over seven minutes to put Washington in the driver's seat for a win.
He capped off the drive with his best throw of the night, tossing a perfectly placed ball into McLaurin's hands in the end zone to secure the victory.
JAYDEN DANIELS. TERRY MCLAURIN. THE COMMANDERS.
— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2024
📺: #WASvsCIN on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/bP5qrpGN8q
The 27-yard touchdown pass was the "most improbable touchdown of the season," according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats that track play probability.
It was quite the exclamation point on Daniels' historic night after going his first two games without a passing touchdown.
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Jayden Daniels draws Robert Griffin III comparisons with rookie QB rushing milestone
Daniels was renowned for his speed and shiftiness as a ball carrier at LSU. Like most running quarterbacks, scouts doubted that skill would translate to the next level.
Daniels has left no doubt that he can still be a dual-threat at the NFL level through his first three games.
His 171 rushing yards came up just shy of former Redskins star Robert Griffin III (198) for the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback through their first three games.
| Rank | Player | Year | Team | Rush Yds |
| 1. | Robert Griffin III | 2012 | Redskins | 198 |
| 2. | Jayden Daniels | 2024 | Commanders | 171 |
| 3. | Charlie Batch | 1998 | Lions | 160 |
He picked up another easy rushing touchdown in this contest, going untouched as he hopped into the end zone.
RGIII was loving what he was seeing from Washington's new franchise quarterback, actively tweeting his praise for Daniels throughout the night.
His first post about the rookie quarterback said it all.
Jayden Daniels. Wow.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 24, 2024
Jayden Daniels vs. Robert Griffin III stats through three games
Griffin is known for having one of the best rookie quarterback seasons in NFL history.
He threw for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns and added 815 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on the ground to take home the 2012 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Griffin only threw five interceptions all year, leading the NFL with a 1.3 interception percentage. He led the Redskins to the playoffs in his debut season, falling to the Seahawks in the wild-card round.
Take a look at how Daniels' first three games stack up to Griffin's during his epic rookie campaign.
| Jayden Daniels | Robert Griffin III | |
| 2024 | Year | 2012 |
| 2-1 | Record | 1-2 |
| 80.3 | Cmp Pct. | 67.4 |
| 664 | Pass Yds | 747 |
| 2 | Pass TDs | 4 |
| 0 | INTs | 1 |
| 171 | Rush Yds | 198 |
| 3 | Rush TDs | 3 |
