PHOENIX — The Washington Commanders know Jayden Daniels can evade defenders when he gets going. What they don’t want is him unleashing the ghosts of the organization’s past when it comes to quarterback play.

After a near-perfect performance in a 38-33 win over Cincinnati on “Monday Night Football,” and with the fan base embracing Daniels as a potential savior, coach Dan Quinn wanted to make it clear that Daniels can’t atone for the sins of the past. He can, however, shape the present and the future.

“I certainly understand that our fans have been waiting for the franchise QB, but I also don’t want Jayden to feel ghosted,” Quinn said. “I want him to know there’s only one name on the back of the jersey and that’s for him.”

Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, while running for another to help the Commanders (2-1) win on the road. After the game, numerous players called him “different” and “the answer” while praising his poise during tense moments of the game.

According to the NFL, Daniels became the first player since at least 1950 to throw for 250 yards and more than one touchdown while also scoring and completing at least 90 percent of his passes. His 91.3 completion percentage was the highest ever in a game for a rookie. He ran for another 39 yards — and now has 171 on the season.

Through three games, Daniels has completed a league-best 80.1 percent of his passes for 664 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

But what Quinn doesn’t want to do is compare him to what happened here in the past – or to anyone else.

“I don’t want to compare him to anyone else but him, because he’s still growing,” Quinn said, “and honestly, I can’t wait to see who he becomes. He had a remarkable game and I was really, really proud of him.”

After the Commanders drafted Daniels, he said he felt no pressure because of Washington’s struggles at the position. This is the seventh straight campaign that the Commanders have started a new quarterback to open the season. They’ve started 10 total in the past five years. And no quarterback has been the primary starter for more than three consecutive years since Mark Rypien from 1989 to 1994.

“I’m just going to go in there and just be myself,” Daniels said the day after the draft in April.

By being himself, he has breathed new life into a franchise that has not seen any success since 2016.

“There’s something about him that creates energy and belief in others,” Quinn said. “We don’t want him to have ghosts and feel like they’re there. We wanted to make sure that was clear. We know how important the position is here to him, to the organization, but we also wanted to make sure that you do it your way. And we really saw that.”

Meanwhile, running back Austin Ekeler did not accompany the team to Phoenix in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. He suffered a concussion in the third quarter on Monday night and instead returned to Virginia, where the team practices. Ekeler also suffered a cut on his ear.