'Monday Night Football' highlights: Commanders' Jayden Daniels breaks out vs. Bengals; Bills cruise past Jags

Just how good were both offenses? It was the first NFL game since 1940 with no turnovers or punts.

Jayden Daniels had the biggest game of his young career, throwing for 254 yards and two scores while also rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown. His 27-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin with just over two minutes remaining was the difference.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow had 324 yards passing and three touchdowns in defeat.

Washington moves to 2-1 on the season while Cincinnati is 0-3 for the first time since 2021.

The rookie QB is the real deal. His 27-yard strike to Terry McLaurin with 2 minutes remaining put the Commanders up 12 points. This game is all but over.

This one was over after the first quarter? Maybe after the Bills’ first two drives? Their first drive?

Buffalo scored five touchdowns and a field goal on six straight possessions in an absolute dismantling of the Jaguars on Monday night.

Josh Allen threw for four scores in the first half alone. Damar Hamlin recorded his first career interception.

Allen threw for 263 yards, including 247 in the first half. The Jaguars had 239 yards total.

At no point did it feel close.

Joe Burrow with a clinical quick drive to pull Cincinnati within five points. He connected with star WR and college teammate Ja'Marr Chase on a 31-yard score. The Bengals went for two but Burrow could not find Tee Higgins in the end zone.

Cincinnati fans clamored for a pass interference call but it did not come.

Commanders 31, Bengals 26 with 9:42 left.

Jayden Daniels converted on a 4th-and-1 but the drive later stalled and Washington was forced to kick a field goal. Austin Seibert — who hit seven field goals last week — drilled a 42-yarder to extend the lead to 11.

Commanders 31, Bengals 20 with 11:30 remaining.

It took only four plays after a Mac Jones fumble for the Bills to score another touchdown.

Ray Davis became the sixth different Bill to record a touchdown tonight. It’s 47-10, Buffalo.

The Commanders RB had a strong first half, including a touchdown run, but he was ruled out by Washington early in the fourth quarter after being looked at for a possible concussion.

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders are currently driving. He converted a huge third down with some shifty footwork.

The good news: Trevor Lawrence is out so he can’t get hurt.

The bad news: Mac Jones just fumbled and the Bills are taking over with another chance to score.

Can Mitchell Trubisky do it again for Buffalo???

After the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs, the Bills responded with a Mitchell Trubisky-led field goal drive. (A four-play, seven-yard drive.)

Buffalo now leads this back-and-forth thriller 40-10.

Joe Burrow led a 13-play, 78-yard drive to get the Bengals within eight points. After a third-down play from the 2-yard line failed to score — Tee Higgins caught a pass in the end zone but only had one foot down — Burrow went to Andrei Iosivas on fourth down.

Iosivas caught it just shy of the end zone but pushed his way past the line.

Washington 28, Cincinnati 20 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

Mitchell Trubisky is in for the Bills, who are in enemy territory after the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs on their last drive

Allen exits after completing 23 of 30 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns.

The Jaguars are trailing by 27 in the fourth quarter, and Trevor Lawrence just took his fourth sack of the game.

Lawrence has taken some tough hits tonight. The sacks don’t count the times he’s run or been hit after pressure. It’s respectful that he doesn’t want to give up on this game or his teammates. but Jacksonville should consider taking him out if the Bills’ defense is going to keep teeing off on him.

After three straight runs, the Bills punted for the first time tonight. If you care about this, it’s because you bet the under 0.5 punts for the Bills tonight.

Buffalo leads 37-10 with just under 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Washington's veteran running back is being looked at for a possible concussion. Ekeler was having a huge performance with 35 yards rushing, 22 yards receiving and a touchdown against the Bengals.

Oof.

On 4th-and-goal from the Buffalo 17 after two false start penalties bumped them back, the Jaguars’ most recent foray into offense ended with Trevor Lawrence on the ground. Lawrence was sacked by Von Miller to end the drive.

The Bills take over with their comfortable 37-10 lead still intact.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, in his third career game, finally threw his first career touchdown pass and it went to...offensive lineman Trent Brown. Of course.

That'll be a trivia question someday.

Commanders 28-13 midway through the third quarter.

Buffalo is up 37-10 after three quarters.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 7-3, but it’s clear the Bills have taken their foot off the gas a little bit. Credit to Trevor Lawrence for hanging in there and taking some hits as he tries to mount some sort of comeback.

It’s not looking like Jacksonville’s night, though.

The Bills scored on their sixth straight possession, but at least this time it was only a field goal! That’s what the Jaguars have to be telling themselves, at least, as they still trail 37-10.

Let’s see if Jacksonville can answer.

Evan McPherson drilled a 31-yard field goal with less than a minute left and the Commanders kneeled it to take the game to halftime.

Jayden Daniels has been the story. The No. 2 draft pick was 7-for-8 passing for 139 yards with a rushing score. After more than 30 years of mediocre QB play, it appears Washington might finally have a franchise signal-caller.

A comeback has to start somewhere. The Jags have their first TD of the game, going 70 yards in eight plays, ending in a Brenton Strange score.

It’s now a 34-10 Bills lead.

The rookie QB with another huge drive — which included a 55-yard bomb to Terry McLaurin — that ended in a 4-yard rushing score.

Daniels has yet to throw a touchdown pass but he has three running scores this season.

The Bengals had an 11-play, 61-yard drive stall in the red zone in the second quarter. McPherson came in for the 28-yarder to pull Cincinnati within four points.

14-10 Commanders with 5:25 until halftime.

The Bills have scored a touchdown on every single one of their offensive possessions.

The Jaguars have one field goal.

Josh Allen is 22 of 28 with 247 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Jacksonville has 70 yards total as a team.

Austin Ekeler is proving doubters wrong. He has 54 yards of total offense so far on two carries and two catches and just added a score.

The former Chargers star scored from 24 yards out to put Washington ahead 14-7. He's been a fantastic addition to complement Brian Robinson in the Commanders' backfield.

This is complete and total domination.

After a Jaguars punt, Josh Allen needed only 53 seconds to lead the Bills’ FIFTH (FIFTH!!!!!!!) touchdown drive of the first half.

It’s Allen’s fourth passing score of the game, this time to Ty Johnson. Five different Bills reached the end zone on the first half.

Trailing 27-3 and desperately needing life...the Jaguars couldn’t find it. Jacksonville is punting again. On 3rd-and-10, Trevor Lawrence was thrown to the ground for an eight-yard sack.

Will the Bills try to score again before halftime? They have a little over a minute and start near midfield.

Joe Burrow led another big drive — including Tee Higgins' first catch this season — but Evan McPherson missed a 48-yard field goal wide right.

Cincinnati 7, Washington 7 with 14:51 left in the second quarter.

The Bills are scoring no matter what tonight.

After running back James Cook dropped a touchdown pass, Buffalo scored two plays later, anyway. Josh Allen found Khalil Shakir for a 27-yard catch-and-score on 3rd down.

Buffalo now leads 27-3.

The Jaguars’ night went from bad to worse. Trevor Lawrence airmailed a wide-open Brian Thomas Jr. right into the hands of an awaiting Damar Hamlin.

The Bills now have the ball with a 20-3 lead. It’s Hamlin’s first career interception.

Down 7-0, Washington rookie QB Jayden Daniels led a 10-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard rushing score by Brian Robinson. The drive was particularly impressive for Daniels, who converted on a fourth down with a 30-yard dart to rookie WR Luke McCaffrey.

Commanders 7, Bengals 7 midway through first.

The Bills are now 3 for 3 on touchdown drives tonight. This time they went 68 yards over a relatively brief eight plays.

The possession was punctuated by rookie Keon Coleman’s first career touchdown reception.

Joe Burrow hit star WR Ja'Marr Chase on a perfect pass up the left sideline for a 41-yard touchdown. It finished a six-play, 71-yard drive that took 3:23.

Burrow was 3 of 3 passing for 49 yards as Cincinnati goes up early.

The Jags looked better on their second drive, but the offense stalled in the red zone and they kicked a field goal. An offensive miscommunication led to an illegal formation penalty that set Jacksonville back once inside the red zone.

After 14 plays and 47 yards, the Jags only mustered three points. They now trail 13-3.

Joe Burrow kicked things off with a one-yard pass to Ja'Marr Chase for a yard.

The Bills have a 13-0 lead after one quarter.

Buffalo’s offense has dominated, putting together two long drives for two scores.

The Jags went three-and-out on their first possession, but have picked up a first on their second drive and have a chance to cut into the lead when action resumes.

Trailing 13-0, the Jaguars went for it on 4th-and-short in their own territory, and Travis Etienne picked up the first. Huge play for Jacksonville, which could not afford to punt right back to a scorching hot Bills offense.

Buffalo is dominating Jacksonville so far. Here are the numbers through two drives:

• Nine first downs — six passing, three rushing.
• 6.7 yards per play.
• Josh Allen is 11 of 16 for 116 yards.
• 10 minutes and 38 seconds time of possession.

The Bills are dominating early. Buffalo just went 65 yards in 11 plays, knifing through the Jaguars defense with ease. Dalton Kincaid finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown reception.

The Bills now lead 13-0.

Buffalo is in the midst of its second march down the field, and just converted its second fourth-down attempt of the game. The Bills do not appear threatened by the Jacksonville defense.

Not how the Jags wanted to answer the Bills’ flawless opening drive. Jacksonville gained only one yard on three plays and will punt. Trevor Lawrence didn’t complete either of the passes he threw.

Buffalo takes over near its own 35.

That looked too easy for the Bills. James Cook just capped off a 10-play, 70-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run. Buffalo moved through the Jaguars defense with ease — but a missed extra point keeps the score 6-0 for now.

The Bills are aggressive tonight. They’ve come out passing — and on their first fourth down, they opted to go for it. After a relatively quiet first couple weeks for Josh Allen, he’s come out firing Monday night.

Cincinnati's star WR Tee Higgins will make his 2024 debut tonight against the Commanders. He missed the first two games with a hamstring injury but told reporters this week he feels 100% heading into the matchup.

“I feel great,” Higgins said after Friday’s practice. “Obviously, unfortunate with the injury, sat out the first two weeks, but finally ready to get my feet wet this season and ready to go.”

Higgins will be a major weapon for QB Joe Burrow to go along with star Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins has caught at least 70 balls and topped 1,000 yards receiving in two of the last three seasons.

I don't want to call this a must-win game, but Buffalo has an incredibly tough stretch ahead. Look at this daunting schedule that awaits Josh Allen and Co. in the coming weeks.

• Week 4 at Ravens on SNF
• Week 5 at Texans
• Week 6 at Jets on MNF

When New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walked off the field after the Jets’ 24-3 win against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, he did so after accomplishing something he hadn’t since his final game with the Green Bay Packers two seasons ago: throwing for more than 200 yards.

Rodgers’ passing totals in the first two weeks of this year were 167 and 176 yards, well below his career average of roughly 255 yards per game.

He wasn’t alone with the meager numbers, however. 

The Jaguars have a very tough task ahead of them, but the Bills won't be at full strength. Linebacker Matt Milano (biceps) was placed on the Injured Reserve list and they ruled out cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) for Week 3.

Doug Pederson, when asked this week about the franchise still winless, said he's not ready to "hit the panic button" yet.

"There’s a long season ahead. We’ve got to figure some things out in a hurry… Each person has to look at themselves in the mirror, me included. We’ve got to do better. It’s disappointing. It’s disappointing because there’s glimpses of greatness out there, but it’s not consistent enough.”

It's not as if the Jaguars have been dominated through two weeks. They lost the first two games by a total of eight points.

Jacksonville is trying to avoid its first 0-3 start since 2021 and the task won't be easy: win on the road in Buffalo.

QB Trevor Lawrence didn't mince words when discussing the state of the offense this week.

“We suck right now," he said. "We know we’ve got a good group, we’ve got good players, and we can be a really good offense, but clearly we’re not. Everybody has to take accountability, look in the mirror and fix it. I’ve got to play better. I’m the leader of this offense. It’s on me."

Week 3 of the NFL season was filled with impressive wins — some big-time comebacks, teams getting their first victory of the season and more.

There were plenty of storylines to keep an eye on headed into Sunday. Could Sean McVay get the better of his nemesis, Kyle Shanahan? Which Cowboys team would show up? What would happen in a battle of undefeated squads in Minnesota? And how would the Panthers look without Bryce Young?

Read the full article here on who came away with the biggest wins of the week.

James Cook has shown flashes since being drafted in the second round out of Georgia in 2022, but this year he's finally putting it all together as the lead back in Buffalo.

Cook is averaging five yards a carry and has already scored two rushing touchdowns — his total scores in each of his first two seasons.

Production won't come easy on Monday as the Jaguars allow 103 yards a game on the ground, the ninth-best rate in the NFL.

The Commanders have an engaging offense behind rookie QB Jayden Daniels, but in Week 2 they failed to score a single touchdown...and still won the game.

Washington beat the Giants 21-18 in Week 2 thanks to seven field goals from new kicker Austin Seibert.

Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has looked sharp but has failed to find the end zone. He has 410 yards passing (with a 75.5% completion rate) but zero scores.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor has made Cincinnati perennial Super Bowl contenders since taking over in 2019 but one area has always haunted him: slow starts.

His team is now 0-2 for third straight season. They are 6-13-1 in September all-time under Taylor. The good news? He hasn't been 0-3 since his first year at the helm.