GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw for 233 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score in his desert return, and the Washington Commanders extended their winning streak to three with a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Daniels — the No. 2 overall pick last spring — became the fourth quarterback in the Super Bowl era to run for four touchdowns in his first four career games, joining Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III and Anthony Richardson.
Daniels also completed 26 of 30 passes and has an absurd 82% completion percentage in his short career. He hit Terry McLaurin for a 10-yard touchdown strike midway through the fourth quarter, and found Zach Ertz in the back of the end zone on the 2-point conversion, for an insurmountable 35-14 lead.
Jeremy McNichols ran for two touchdowns and Brian Robinson Jr. had 101 yards on the ground.
Daniels and Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury had successful homecomings.
Daniels played in college for three seasons at Arizona State before transferring to LSU, where he won the Heisman in 2023. Kingsbury was the head coach of the Cardinals from 2019-22, leading the franchise to the playoffs in 2021 before getting fired following a 4-13 season the following year.
Washington (3-1) took control early in the third quarter on Daniels’ 9-yard touchdown run that made it 24-7. The Commanders got a huge break on the previous play when Arizona’s Sean Murphy-Bunting was called for pass interference on a deep ball, which resulted in a 47-yard penalty.
Arizona’s James Conner had a 6-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter, cutting Washington’s lead to 27-14. Conner ran for 104 yards. Kyler Murray completed 16 of 22 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked four times.
Washington’s offense has been the talk of the NFL over the past few weeks. It scored on every drive during the past two games, with the exception of kneel downs, becoming the first team since at least 2000 to accomplish that feat.
The Commanders were back at it against the Cardinals (1-3), methodically moving down the field on their first two drives to take a 14-7 lead. The 16-possession streak ended midway through the second quarter when Arizona’s Garrett Williams made a leaping grab for an interception, which was Daniels’ first of the season.
Washington couldn’t get a first down on their next offensive possession, either, so Tress Way had to punt for the first time since Sept. 8. But there was still much more good than bad from the Commanders’ offense.
The Cardinals took a 7-0 lead on the opening offensive drive, finishing with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. on a fourth-and-1 play. It was the rookie’s fourth touchdown catch in three games.
Washington responded immediately, driving 70 yards on nine carries, capped by Brian Robinson Jr.’s 6-yard touchdown run. Robinson — who had a bigger role with Austin Ekeler was out with a concussion — ran for 38 yards on five carries during the drive.
The Commanders followed that up with a 93-yard touchdown drive that ended with McNichols running 27 yards down the left sideline for a 14-7 lead with 10:18 left in the secons quarter.
Injuries
Commanders: Ekeler (concussion) was among seven inactives.
Cardinals: TE Trey McBride (concussion) and DL Khyiris Tonga (knee) were among the team’s inactives.
Up next
Commanders: Host Cleveland next Sunday.
Cardinals: At San Francisco next Sunday.
