Washington’s mood has flipped fast.
A week after the Commanders were buried under a pile of bad news, they’ve got a win, Jayden Daniels is back on the practice field, and the energy around the team looks a lot different. The victory over the reigning Super Bowl champs did more than just stop the bleeding.
It came with Marcus Mariota under center, and that mattered too. Washington didn’t just survive the moment - it backed it up with strong run defense and solid play when the pressure came.
Daniels is not going to play Sunday, though, which keeps Mariota in the spotlight for another start. That sets up a second straight test for Washington without its regular quarterback, this time against Indianapolis on Sunday morning ET at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
The biggest question is whether Mariota can build on last week without asking the offense to win the hard way. He was clean, but he didn’t exactly light up the box score. If Washington is going to keep this streak alive, it needs a little more production out of the passing game, not just mistake-free football.
There’s also the Jonathan Taylor problem. The Colts’ back against Washington’s run defense is the kind of matchup that can swing a game if one side loses control at the point of attack. The Commanders handled the run well last week, and they’ll need another sharp effort there if they want to keep Taylor from taking over.
On the other side of the ball, the matchup against the Colts defense opens the door for a receiver to step forward. The question is who ends up leading Washington in receiving yards and why. With Mariota starting again, that answer could say plenty about how the Commanders choose to attack this defense.
And then there’s Bill Croskey-Merritt, who has had a quieter start than some might have expected. The numbers haven’t popped, the per-carry efficiency has been modest, and the explosive run everyone was waiting for got wiped out by a penalty. That makes his early-season work worth watching closely, even if it’s not yet time to sound the alarm.
The Commanders have momentum now. Sunday in London will tell us whether they can carry it forward without Daniels.
In Other News...
Commanders Got Pulled Into Jason Kelces Latest On-Air Awkward Moment
Jason Kelce found himself in another clumsy on-air moment during the NFL International Series game between the Commanders and the Colts, when he slipped and used Washingtons former team name. Dave Pasch quickly corrected him on the broadcast, keeping the moment from lingering too long, but it was the kind of live-TV stumble that instantly stands out when the whole audience catches it in real time.
Kelce has already had a few of these awkward broadcast miscues lately, including a separate slip on Monday Night Football when he referred to the Eagles as "we." For Washington fans, it was another reminder that even in a game with an overseas spotlight, the conversation can drift away from the action on the field and into the broadcast booth. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders London Game Suddenly Feels Very Different Before Colts Matchup
The Commanders trip to London just picked up a different kind of weight. What was already an unusual early kickoff against the Colts on Oct. 4 now has a new quarterback storyline attached to it, with Jayden Daniels sidelined and Marcus Mariota set to make the start. Washington is also carrying a mixed injury picture into the game, with Sam Cosmi and Nick Cross ruled out while Frankie Luvu and Chig Okonkwo are back in the fold.
For a team trying to keep its footing on an international stage, the ripple effects are hard to ignore. A morning kickoff alone can alter the feel of a game, but losing Daniels changes the way Washington will have to approach everything from protection to tempo against Indianapolis, even as a few injured pieces return to help stabilize the roster. The matchup still has plenty of intrigue, but it now looks like a very different kind of test for the Commanders. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Now Face A Brutal Problem Heading Into Division Games
The Commanders left London not just with a loss to the Colts, but with a deeper sense of urgency heading into the division stretch. Playing with third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis after injuries sidelined Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, Washington was already operating under difficult conditions before Indianapolis pulled away for a 30-13 win. Jonathan Taylor powered the Colts with two rushing touchdowns, and Daniel Jones added another on the ground even while his passing day never quite got going.
For Washington, the bigger concern is how thin the offense looked by the end of the trip. Wide receiver Jaylin Lane also exited with an ankle injury, adding another health issue to a unit that is suddenly scrambling for answers. With division games up next, the Commanders are facing a stretch where every missing piece matters, and the margin for error already looks painfully small. [Read more 🡒]