One Monday Night Football game delivered, the other...not at all.
Week 3 concluded with a doubleheader, starting with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills demolishing Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars at home 47-10. Buffalo led 34-3 at the half and never looked back as Jacksonville remained winless on the season.
In the second game, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals looked to avoid a 0-3 start at home, but were stunned by rookie Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, who won 38-33 in a thriller.
Let's analyze the two games further with winners and losers:
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WINNER: Josh Allen, Bills
It's simple. When Allen performs well, typically the Bills do, too. And Allen was superb against Jacksonville, dominating with 23 of 30 completions for 263 yards, four touchdowns and no picks while adding 44 rushing yards on six tries.
Buffalo scored routinely, especially in the first half when it converted on every single possession en route to a 34-3 cushion at halftime. James Cook and Ray Davis didn't churn out rushing yards, but each added a touchdown on the ground to support Allen.
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With all the talk surrounding Allen's receiving core, it wasn't an issue tonight. Khalil Shakir, Cook, Dalton Kincaid, Ty Johnson and Curtis Samuel all caught at least three passes, with Keon Coleman logging a 24-yard score.
Allen may have tougher games ahead, but the Bills will be in the conversation as long as he's on the field.
LOSER: All of Jacksonville
Pathetic, lethargic, uninspiring, whatever you want to call it, it's probably an accurate description of Jacksonville's night as it fell to 0-3.
Offense, defense and special teams all failed to make an impact, with Lawrence grabbing the headlines after inking a five-year, $275 million extension over the offseason. Lawrence struggled mightily, going 21 of 38 for 178 yards, one touchdown, one pick and being sacked four times. He did not eclipse 60 passing yards at the interval.
Travis Etienne Jr. logged 68 rushing yards on 11 carries, but all the dialogue will follow Lawrence's inability to win games, an eight-game streak that now dates back to last season.
There wasn't much to write home about on the defensive front, either, as evident with Buffalo's near-50 burger.
Even Mac Jones entered for Lawrence in the fourth quarter and got strip sacked immediately, though he was fortunate Casey Toohill botched the potential scoop-and-score opportunity.
WINNER: Damar Hamlin, Bills
After suffering a cardiac arrest and collapsing on the field in a Monday night game in January 2023, Bills safety Hamlin had a full-circle moment as he recorded his first career interception on the same platform.
In the second quarter with Buffalo up 20-3, Lawrence's play-action fake ended up in an overthrow, which fell right into Hamlin's hands.
Hamlin has been a starter at safety since Week 1 for Buffalo, and he's gradually paying back that faith.
LOSER: Bengals' defense
While Burrow and Co. will get the headlines for the loss, there wasn't much they could do with the defense not able to get enough stops. Ditto for Washington, but its offense took advantage early on and didn't let Cincinnati grab the lead.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor will be more under pressure now to potentially make changes on that side of the ball.
Burrow finished the game with 29 of 38 completions for 324 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. Chase Brown (62) and Zach Moss (58) combined for 120 rushing yards, while Ja'Marr Chase had his best game of the season with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
It all went to waste, but the schedule lightens up a bit. Cincinnati's next four games are away to Carolina, home to Baltimore, away to the New York Giants then at Cleveland. A potential 3-1 stretch would put the Bengals back in the conversation, but the Ravens game will loom large to test their mettle.
WINNER: Jayden Daniels, Commanders announce arrival
Daniels has arrived. Washington's No. 2 overall pick broke out on the big stage and led his side to a commanding win, not on the scoreboard but impact wise.
He threw for 254 yards on 21 of 23 completions, two touchdowns and no picks while adding 39 rushing yards on 12 tries and a touchdown. The Heisman winner oozed confidence and composure in his first NFL primetime game, which also came on the road.
The Commanders made intriguing moves all throughout the offseason, but it wouldn't have mattered if the QB play didn't follow suit. At 2-1 through the first three games and things look bright for Daniels and Co. under head coach Dan Quinn, but they'll have to prove their legitimacy during this next stretch.
Washington's next four games are at Arizona, home to Cleveland, at Baltimore and back home versus Carolina. The Commanders entered the season with unknown expectations, but that'll change depending on how their record looks in a few weeks time.
