CINCINNATI — Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders stole the show in their surprise 38-33 victory over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football.

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, led the Commanders down the field for touchdowns on each of their first four full drives to build a 28-13 lead midway through the third quarter and held off the Bengals from there. The former Heisman winner out of LSU showed off his dual-threat prowess in the win, throwing for two TDs and running for one, and finished the night 21 of 23 for 254 yards while running for another 40 on 11 carries.

Meanwhile, the Bengals offense struggled to find a rhythm for much of the game, but it came together in the second half. A fourth-down touchdown pass from Burrow to sophomore wide receiver Andrei Iosivas pulled Cincinnati within one score with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Washington responded with a field goal before Burrow found Chase for the pair’s second TD connection of the night with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter to make it 31-26. But Daniels had the final say, capping a 12-play, 70-yard drive that lasted more than seven minutes in spectacular fashion with a perfect 27-yard TD pass down the sideline to wideout Terry McLaurin to seal the impressive victory.

The win moved the Commanders to 2-1 on the season, while the Bengals fell to 0-3.

Here are the key things you need to know for both teams on Thursday night:

It appears the Washington Commanders have found a young quarterback to build a team around.

Rookie Jayden Daniels revealed himself to the NFL world by completing 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He also rushed 11 times for 40 yards.

Daniels injured Cincinnati’s arm — he threw a perfect pass to receiver Terry McLaurin for a 55-yard gain to set up the Commanders’ third touchdown of the first half. Then, three plays after converting a fourth-and-4, Daniels was drilled by a blitzing defender — and placed another perfect ball to McLaurin for the go-ahead 27-yard touchdown pass.

Daniels injured his legs for the Bengals when he attempted a 4-yard touchdown run around the left sideline two plays after McLaurin’s catch.

Washington has spent a long time searching for their quarterback, through first-round picks (four since 2002), trades and free-agent signings. The Commanders have started with 10 quarterbacks over the past five years. After three games, Washington can finally look to the future with excitement thanks to Daniels.

Promising achievements: Running back Austin Ekeler. Before leaving with a concussion early in the third quarter, Ekeler had 119 all-purpose yards, 62 of which came on a kick return. Ekeler had looked good since training camp began, showing an excellent burst with a 24-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Defensive receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals wide receiver is one of the most dangerous skill players in the NFL. But he scored touchdowns on catches of 41 and 31 yards when the Commanders opted for single-high coverage, leaving corners Mike Sainristil and Benjamin St-Juste without help on Chase’s touchdowns.

Crucial game: Washington converted a fourth-and-4 with 4 minutes, 25 seconds left in the game from the Bengals’ 38-yard line. The Commanders could have attempted a 56-yard field goal or punted and defended. Instead, they opted to go for it, and Daniels completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz. Three plays later, Daniels sealed it with a touchdown pass to McLaurin.

Worrying trend: Defense of the run. Washington entered Monday night ranked 29th against the run, allowing 5.1 yards per carry. But the Commanders allowed TKTK yards per carry Monday night. They’ve used a lot of two-deep safety looks, keeping an extra defender out of the box, but they need to do a better job up front. — John Keim

Next match: vs. Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 29)

For the second time in three games, the Bengals were heavy home favorites over a team that had a tough 2023 season. And once again, Cincinnati suffered a stunning upset.

Led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders defeated the Bengals 38-33, putting Cincinnati off to an 0-3 start.

Daniels delivered a masterful performance. Washington scored touchdowns on five of its first six drives, including a 27-yard pass from Daniels to wide receiver Terry McLaurin to seal the win with 2:10 left.

Before the season began, the Bengals were in talks to challenge Kansas City for the AFC title. But a third AFC championship meeting between the teams in the last four seasons now seems a long way off. According to ESPN Research, only six teams have reached the playoffs in the Super Bowl era after starting 0-3.

Worrying trend: Failure to convert possessions into touchdowns was a problem against the Kansas City Chiefs last week and continued against Washington. In the second quarter, Cincinnati had three drives inside Washington’s 30-yard line. The Bengals settled for field goals on all three. Kicker Evan McPherson made two of the three attempts.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Containing Daniels. The rookie quarterback made the running offense look effortless in just his third career start. Daniels completed 14 of his first 16 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown to help the Commanders tear apart Cincinnati’s defense. Washington scored touchdowns on its first four drives. — Ben Baby

Next match: vs. Carolina Panthers (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 29)