Washington’s trip to London ended the same way too many of its games have started to feel this season: with promising moments getting swallowed up by injuries, questionable decisions and a 30-13 loss to Indianapolis.
The Commanders were hanging around early, but the combination of a third-string quarterback situation, shaky play calling, poor coaching and a brutal day from the officials eventually buried them. Washington dropped to 1-3, with a division matchup against the Giants coming next, and the pressure around Dan Quinn and Adam Peters only got louder.
There’s still a chance Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin are back next week, but at this pace, a postseason run would take a miracle.
One of the few bright spots came from Rasul Douglas. The cornerback picked off an errant pass by Jones, delivered a big hit to stop a third-and-short conversion, and finished with six tackles and a pass defensed. He was one of the few defenders who consistently made Indianapolis work.
Odafe Oweh also had his moment early, even if the rest of his afternoon was fairly quiet. In the first quarter, he turned one play into a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery all at once by pushing his man into Jones. He added two pressures on the day.
Daron Payne showed more life as well, getting better push up front and finishing with three pressures along with a few solid tackles. Austin Ekeler, limited as he was, looked like the best running back on the roster, which says plenty about how the offseason was handled. Dyami Brown chipped in with a solid line too, catching three of his four targets for 65 yards.
The offensive line and quarterback situation told a rougher story. Marcus Mariota started well before leaving with a knee injury, and there’s a strong feeling here that Washington wins if he stays in for all four quarters.
Rookie Matt Gulbin had a rough opening at right guard, though he settled in a bit as the game went on. Even so, it wasn’t enough to keep him out of the Duds column, especially with his blocking tied to Mariota getting hurt early.
The coaching staff also took heat. The fourth-down run with Craig Reynolds behind the weak spot on the line drew a sharp reaction, and the lack of involvement for the tight ends in the passing game stood out too. The frustration extended beyond the sideline and onto the roster-building side, with Adam Peters drawing blame for a string of personnel decisions, from the handling of Nick “The Wonder-Boy” Allegretti to the lack of impact from the draft and the trade for an injured Lattimore.
Washington’s problems weren’t just self-inflicted. Alan Eck’s crew was the center of attention for all the wrong reasons, with the Commanders hit for 10 penalties and 84 yards while the Colts were flagged just once for five yards.
Antonio Williams also had a touchdown wiped out, and Washington felt it was left without two obvious pass interference calls on Colts defensive backs. The criticism of the officiating was as blunt as it was relentless.
There were still a few encouraging individual notes. Antonio Williams flashed on the long catch-and-run that was erased by the penalties, and he looks like he can become a really solid receiver. The linebacker usage also raised eyebrows, with Sonny Sytles and Kain Medrano splitting time in nickel while Luvu played every snap.
But on a day where too much went wrong, the Commanders left London with the same kind of questions that have followed them all season.
In Other News...
Commanders Quarterback Crisis May Force A Familiar Fix
Marcus Mariotas MCL injury has pushed the Commanders deeper into a quarterback bind, with Dan Quinn still waiting on further tests to get a clearer read on how long the veteran might be sidelined. Washington is already working through the recovery of Jayden Daniels, who is coming back from a dislocated elbow, leaving the staff to sort through an increasingly thin room at the games most important position.
Jeff Driskel is one familiar name under consideration as the Commanders evaluate temporary options, and his previous stint with the organization gives the idea some practical appeal. For a team trying to keep the season steady while the injuries stack up, the next move at quarterback could be less about upside than it is about survival. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Quarterback Question They Didn't Expect
The Commanders went into Week 4 expecting one storyline at quarterback and came out with another. Marcus Mariota is headed for some missed time with a knee injury, while Jayden Daniels is set to return despite an elbow issue, leaving Washington to sort through a depth chart that suddenly looks far less settled than it did a week ago.
Athan Kaliakmanis got the first real crack at the offense in Mariotas place and at least gave the Commanders a glimpse of what he can do, tossing a touchdown pass before the loss. For a team trying to stay afloat in the middle of an unpredictable early season, the bigger question now is not just who starts next, but how the Commanders manage a quarterback room that was supposed to be stable and is anything but. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious After London Loss
The loss in London was made even harder for Commanders fans to stomach because the penalty count told its own story. Washington was flagged 10 times for 84 yards, while Indianapolis drew only one penalty for five yards, and several of the calls against Washington came at moments when the game was hanging in the balance. With the offense already trying to survive with a third-string quarterback, every miscue and every yellow flag seemed to chip away at any chance to find a rhythm.
For a team already dealing with injuries and a brutal stretch of the schedule, the frustration is easy to understand. The Commanders did not just lose on the scoreboard, they also left with a sense that the flow of the game kept tilting away from them at the worst possible times. For fans who have watched the season get harder by the week, a penalty-filled defeat overseas only added to the sense that nothing is coming easy right now. [Read more 🡒]