A method of injecting combustion reactants into a combustor of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of: providing a combustor, the combustor including: an outer shell, an inner shell, and a perforated front wall that connects the outer shell to the inner shell so as to form an annular volume arranged about a centerline of the combustor, and an annular discharge opening opposite to the perforated front wall arranged about the centerline of the combustor; first nozzles in the outer shell between the perforated front wall and the annular discharge opening, said first nozzles are circumferentially spaced in a common plane normal to the longitudinal direction; and second nozzles in the outer shell between the circumferentially spaced first nozzles and the perforated front wall, said second nozzles are circumferentially spaced in a common plane normal to the longitudinal direction; injecting a pre-mixed fuel-air mixture into the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced first nozzles residing in the first plane, the circumferentially spaced first nozzles injecting the pre-mixed fuel-air mixture into the annular volume in a direction that is angularly offset from a tangent line relative to the outer shell forming a flow field through the annular volume rotating about the centerline of the combustor, the flow field flowing through the annular volume in a direction from the perforated front wall to the annular discharge opening; injecting only fuel into the flow field through the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced second nozzles residing in the second plane, the circumferentially spaced second nozzles injecting the fuel into the annular volume in the direction that is angularly offset from the tangent line relative to the outer shell; and introducing compressor discharge air through the perforated front wall into the flow field through the annular volume; the steps of injecting a pre-mixed fuel-air mixture into the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced first nozzles residing in the first plane, injecting only fuel into the flow field through the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced second nozzles residing in the second plane, and injecting compressor discharge air through the perforated front wall into the flow field through the annular volume creating fuel-air staging for enhancing combustion and reducing NOx. providing a combustor, the combustor including: an outer shell, an inner shell, and a perforated front wall that connects the outer shell to the inner shell so as to form an annular volume arranged about a centerline of the combustor, and an annular discharge opening opposite to the perforated front wall arranged about the centerline of the combustor; first nozzles in the outer shell between the perforated front wall and the annular discharge opening, said first nozzles are circumferentially spaced in a common plane normal to the longitudinal direction; and second nozzles in the outer shell between the circumferentially spaced first nozzles and the perforated front wall, said second nozzles are circumferentially spaced in a common plane normal to the longitudinal direction; an outer shell, an inner shell, and a perforated front wall that connects the outer shell to the inner shell so as to form an annular volume arranged about a centerline of the combustor, and an annular discharge opening opposite to the perforated front wall arranged about the centerline of the combustor; first nozzles in the outer shell between the perforated front wall and the annular discharge opening, said first nozzles are circumferentially spaced in a common plane normal to the longitudinal direction; and second nozzles in the outer shell between the circumferentially spaced first nozzles and the perforated front wall, said second nozzles are circumferentially spaced in a common plane normal to the longitudinal direction; injecting a pre-mixed fuel-air mixture into the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced first nozzles residing in the first plane, the circumferentially spaced first nozzles injecting the pre-mixed fuel-air mixture into the annular volume in a direction that is angularly offset from a tangent line relative to the outer shell forming a flow field through the annular volume rotating about the centerline of the combustor, the flow field flowing through the annular volume in a direction from the perforated front wall to the annular discharge opening; injecting only fuel into the flow field through the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced second nozzles residing in the second plane, the circumferentially spaced second nozzles injecting the fuel into the annular volume in the direction that is angularly offset from the tangent line relative to the outer shell; and introducing compressor discharge air through the perforated front wall into the flow field through the annular volume; the steps of injecting a pre-mixed fuel-air mixture into the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced first nozzles residing in the first plane, injecting only fuel into the flow field through the annular volume through the circumferentially spaced second nozzles residing in the second plane, and injecting compressor discharge air through the perforated front wall into the flow field through the annular volume creating fuel-air staging for enhancing combustion and reducing NOx.