Jonathan Taylor’s legs carried the Colts through London, and the Commanders never found a way to slow them down.
Taylor scored twice on the ground, Daniel Jones added another rushing touchdown, and Indianapolis rolled past Washington 30-13 on Sunday. The Colts leaned on their run game from start to finish, and that was enough to control the afternoon even with Jones offering little as a passer.
Washington’s quarterback situation unraveled early. Jayden Daniels was already out because of an elbow injury, forcing Marcus Mariota into the start. Mariota then left in the first quarter with a knee injury, and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis was left to handle the rest.
Kaliakmanis gave Washington a few flashes. He connected on throws of 48 and 47 yards, and he also had an 87-yard touchdown wiped out by a penalty. But the Commanders could not turn those plays into enough sustained offense, and the Colts stayed in command throughout.
The injury list kept growing for Washington, too. Wide receiver Jaylin Lane was carted off after hurting his ankle on a kickoff return and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
For Indianapolis, the win moves the team to 2-2, but Jones’ day did not inspire much confidence. He finished 19-for-34 for 143 yards with no touchdown passes, an interception and a lost fumble.
Washington dropped to 1-3, and the quarterback picture for next week’s game against the Giants is still unclear. If Daniels can’t get back and rediscover the form he showed as a rookie two years ago, the Commanders’ season could spiral in a hurry.
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 Quarterback Crisis Just Reached A Dangerous New Level
The Commanders quarterback situation has gone from shaky to alarming by the time they reached Week 4 against the Colts, with Athan Kaliakmanis now in line to run the offense after Marcus Mariota left early because of a right knee injury. Washington was already down Jayden Daniels, who is sidelined with a dislocated left elbow from Week 2, leaving the team scrambling to piece together a passing game on the fly.
Terry McLaurin being ruled out before kickoff only deepened the challenge for an offense already stretched thin. With the quarterback depth chart under strain and one of the teams top targets unavailable, Washington is suddenly trying to survive a game while navigating a much bigger concern about how long this can hold together. [Read more 🡒]