CINCINNATI — As Washington reserve safety and special teamer Jeremy Reaves emerged from the noisy visitors’ locker room, headphones over his ears, he pointed in the direction of quarterback Jayden Daniels. He said only two words.

“He’s different,” Reaves said.

Defensive tackle Jon Allen was more direct.

“He’s the answer,” Allen said.

No one in that locker room would disagree. Not after a night in which he completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 win over the Bengals. Not after he delivered a game-clinching 27-yard touchdown pass to receiver Terry McLaurin — while being crushed by a blitzing defender.

“I think he matured tonight,” McLaurin said. “I’m so happy for him because now as a rookie, when you see those throws, you get more confidence. And I think his confidence is through the roof right now.”

Washington (2-1) has won two in a row — and scored on 14 consecutive drives that didn’t end in a kneel down — heading into Sunday’s game at Arizona. The Commanders have received an early-season shock because of Daniels’ play. Through three games, he has completed 80.3 percent of his passes, averaging 6.2 air yards per attempt. He has thrown for 662 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

“He continues to grow in his job,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said.

And in the last two games, he led a game-winning field goal drive and threw a touchdown pass on his final full possession Monday night. That’s why players haven’t been shy in their praise of Daniels since they started training with him in the spring.

Their confidence in him has only increased.

“The only word I can really say is hope,” guard Sam Cosmi said when asked what’s different about Daniels compared to those he played with the previous four seasons. “I believe. We believe.”

Daniels was unfazed when the play clock started ticking and gestured to the sideline to call the play. The way he handled the situation — not panicking — appealed to his teammates.

“It’s shocking how controlled he is, but it’s not,” Washington guard Nick Allegretti said. “It’s just the situation as it is. What am I going to do? Panic and blow it. That’s not who he is. The situation is what it is. Put 11 in a huddle. Let’s call a play.

“He’s as composed a rookie as I’ve ever seen and in the most difficult position in football. When that guy is stressed, everyone else goes crazy. So he may not do it on purpose, but his calmness compensates for the whole attack.”

Daniels had to convert three fourth downs: two with his arm and one with his legs. He succeeded every time. A fourth-and-2 pass to rookie receiver Luke McCaffrey went 30 yards and set up the first touchdown. A fourth-and-1 run early in the fourth quarter led to a field goal.

But the coup de grace was a fourth-and-4 pass from the Bengals’ 39-yard line to tight end Zach Ertz with 4 minutes, 26 seconds left in the game, with Washington leading by just five points. It went for nine yards.

“It’s just a blessing that the coaching staff has confidence in me to go out there and make a play at a critical time,” Daniels said. “But that’s just a testament to not only me, but the entire offense.”

Then he delivered perhaps his first signature moment. Three plays later, facing an all-out blitz with a defender looking to hit him, Daniels threw a perfect throw that traveled 45 yards through the air and into McLaurin’s arms for a 27-yard touchdown.

McLaurin told offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury he wanted the ball on that play. Daniels delivered.

“When we needed it the most, Jayden did a great job of taking a hit,” said McLaurin, who also caught a 55-yard pass earlier in the game that led to another touchdown. “Those are big throws for a rookie to make.”

But with all those big throws, Daniels may have to figuratively wrestle a teammate to get his first touchdown pass. That’s because the ball went to backup tackle Trent Scott, who caught a one-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

“I wanted to saw the ball down the middle,” Scott said. “I was nervous as hell, ‘Just don’t drop the ball.'”

While his teammates aren’t shocked (Allen said he sees this “every day in practice”), Daniels is surprised.

“Yeah, because it’s obviously something new for me,” he said. “But also just knowing that the aspect that I get stuck in and what’s done in the dark will always come to light.”