The Commanders left Week 4 with more than just a 30-13 loss to the Colts. They walked out of it buried by flags, hit by injuries and forced to lean on a quarterback making his regular-season debut.
For Brandon Coleman, the frustration was impossible to hide.
“I mean, we say the same thing every week, like, we gotta fix it,” said Coleman. “But it's just bulls**t.
There's stuff that we know we gotta do and there's stuff that we gotta fix. I hate to say it, but, like, you always say that shit.
Like, we gotta fix it yesterday. At the end of the day, it's on us.
As an offense, as an O-line, that shit that's just simple communication that just has to go down with the (experience) that we have in our room and how gelled we are. We got to put our arms around Athan [Kaliakmanis] and make sure that we're all on the same page.
It's all about us and that's what we got to get fixed.”
The numbers backed up the frustration. Washington was hit with 10 penalties for 84 yards, while Indianapolis was flagged just once for five yards. That imbalance showed up in all the ways that hurt most.
An illegal shift wiped out an 87-yard touchdown catch by rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams. With the extra point, Washington would have been tied at 20 in the third quarter.
A false start by left guard Chris Paul turned third-and-12 into third-and-17, and rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis followed with an interception. Later, a personal foul by cornerback Amik Robertson came after the Colts failed on third-and-14, but the penalty kept the drive alive and Jonathan Taylor finished it with a touchdown three plays later.
Special teams added to the mess. Washington was flagged four times on special teams and also took a delay of game late in the fourth quarter.
The game changed early when Marcus Mariota exited in the first quarter. Making his second start of the season for the injured Jayden Daniels, Mariota was hurt after being sacked on third-and-goal from the Colts 5-yard line. Dan Quinn said more testing would be needed to determine the severity of the injury.
That opened the door for Kaliakmanis, who made his regular-season debut and finished with 186 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 60.9 passer rating. His 47-yard touchdown to Treylon Burks was one of the few clean sparks for Washington, and he also found Dyami Brown for a 48-yard gain.
Up front, the Commanders were already thin. Laremy Tunsil and Sam Cosmi were out, Nick Allegretti was replaced at center by Lucas Patrick, and Matt Gulbin handled right guard. Gulbin was charged with three of Washington’s 10 quarterback pressures allowed, including the sack that led to Mariota’s injury.
Washington was also missing Daniels, Tunsil, Cosmi and Terry McLaurin, who sat out with a hamstring injury suffered in practice. Rachaad White was unavailable as well, while Charles Omenihu and Jaylin Lane both left the game with injuries.
The loss came one week after Washington’s upset win over the Seattle Seahawks. Now at 1-3, the Commanders turn to Week 5 against the New York Giants, with Daniels expected back.
In Other News...
Commanders Quarterback Crisis May Force A Familiar Fix
Marcus Mariotas MCL injury in Week 4 has pushed Washington deeper into quarterback uncertainty, with Dan Quinn still waiting on further tests before the team gets a clearer picture of the recovery timeline. The Commanders were already managing Jayden Daniels return from a dislocated elbow, and the latest setback leaves the staff sorting through a situation that has quickly become one of the teams most pressing concerns.
Jeff Driskel is now among the familiar names in the conversation, and his previous time with the Commanders makes him an obvious temporary option as the club weighs its next move. With the quarterback room thinned out and the injuries piling up, Washington may need a short-term answer sooner rather than later, even as the broader plan at the position remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Quarterback Question They Didn't Expect
A week after Marcus Mariota went down with a knee injury, the Commanders are suddenly sorting through a quarterback picture they did not expect to face this early. Athan Kaliakmanis got the call in relief and showed enough in his debut to at least give Washington a workable short-term answer, including a touchdown pass before the loss. The broader NFL backdrop only adds to the sense of how quickly these situations can change, with rookies around the league being thrust into action because of injuries and having to learn on the fly.
For Washington, the more complicated part is that Jayden Daniels is also in line to return despite working through an elbow injury, which gives the team more talent but less clarity. Mariota is expected to miss time, so the Commanders now have to balance immediate results with the health and timing of two quarterbacks whose availability could shape the rest of the month. The next move at the position may say as much about caution as it does about confidence. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious After London Loss
The trip to London did little to ease a season already full of frustration for Washington, and the loss to Indianapolis only sharpened the feeling that the Commanders keep fighting an uphill battle. A third-string quarterback was already a tough assignment for the offense, but the team also had to navigate a rash of injuries and a demanding schedule, making every mistake feel magnified.
The penalty disparity only fed the anger afterward. Washington was flagged 10 times for 84 yards, while the Colts were penalized once for five yards, and several of the Commanders calls came at critical moments that swung momentum in a game they could not afford to let slip. For a fan base looking for signs of resilience, the latest setback offered another reminder of how thin the margin has become. [Read more 🡒]