In the 1st MNF double header of the season, we got the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Commanders taking on the Cincinnati Bengals. In Buffalo, the 3-0 Bills routed the 0-3 Jaguars for a final score of 47-10. Josh Allen had a monster performance in this one and Buffalo’s defense bullied the Jags offense. Head coach Doug Pederson is on the hottest seat in the NFL with the Jaguars losing 8 straight of Trevor Lawrence’s starts
In Cincinnati, we have another hot seat brewing with the Bengals falling to 0-3 and head coach Zac Taylor falling under more scrutiny. After playing lockdown defense the week before against the Chiefs, the Bengals defense fell apart. They allowed Washington to move the ball at will and score 38 points just enough to beat out Joe Burrow’s stellar performance. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the MNF doubleheader.
Winners
Bills QB Josh Allen
Allen is the front-runner for MVP for his heroics through 3 weeks of the regular season. On the season he now has over 700 total yards, 9 total touchdowns, 1 turnover, and a 133.7 passer rating. Under OC Joe Brady the offense revolves around less of Josh Allen having to play hero ball while focusing on the ground game with quick throws. The evolution of this offense has made Allen as good as he has ever been despite many expecting regression without WR Stefon Diggs. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are the clear-cut top 2 quarterbacks in the sport.
Bills WR Khalil Shakir
It was only a matter of time before Shakir had a breakout game. It was very clear towards the end of last season and through 2 weeks that he was going to be the WR1 in Buffalo. Last night he had 6 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown in the win. Shakir works almost exclusively in the slot and dominates on intermediate routes. Expect bigger weeks to come for Shakir
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Daniels has been trending in the right direction heading into Monday night. He proceeded to break the rookie completion record (91.3%) with 293 total yards and 3 touchdowns. His game changing dual threat ability was on full display. The Bengals took away the run well and challenged Daniels arm to beat them. He went on to make all of the throws needed to carry the Commanders to a big victory on the road.
Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury
Kingsbury has gotten his fair share of criticism over the years as a head coach and playcaller. Last night his strengths were on full display. What he has done in Washington through 3 weeks is noteworthy. They have established one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL while Jayden Daniels continues to develop each week. Kingsbury has a great track record with getting the most out of his quarterbacks and he is most well-known for his air raid scheme that highlighted Patrick Mahomes talents. A good season could mean Kingsbury is back in the head coach cycle next season.
Losers
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson
The Jaguars are 1-9 in their last 10 games after leading the AFC South and making the divisional round the year before. The regression of Trevor Lawrence and this offense has been the main reason for their poor record during that stretch. In Pederson’s case, this is the 2nd up and coming team he has coached that has flamed out with 3 years of his tenure. Pederson will not be the coach of the Jaguars in 2025
Bengals HC Zac Taylor
Coming into the week the Bengals were 0-2 five out of his six seasons as the head coach. In a game where they were heavy favorites the Bengals, looked unprepared and now sit at 0-3. In his coaching career, his record is 37-47 with one Super Bowl appearance. That one Super Bowl appearance will not be enough to keep Taylor around if the Bengals miss the playoffs this season.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence has a good argument for being the most overpaid QB in football right now. He is now two seasons removed from his breakout campaign. Lawrence has now lost his eighth straight game as a starting QB with 2058 yards, 13 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and an 88.3 passer rating during that stretch. Something needs to change in Jacksonville for this team to get going again
Bengals and Jaguars Defenses
Coming into the game both defenses had been playing great football. The Bengals came in allowing the least amount of passing yards in the NFL and gave the Chiefs fits the week before. The Jaguars came in only allowing 38 points on the season. Both teams could not stop a nosebleed last night as they allowed 85 points.