Javon Kinlaw has turned into one of the biggest reasons Washington’s run defense suddenly looks nasty.
That matters this week because the Commanders are heading to London for a Week 4 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And if Washington wants to avoid another one of Taylor’s international showcases, the front has to keep doing what it has been doing: win at the line, spill runs wide, and make life miserable between the tackles.
Taylor already did that to Atlanta last season, tearing through the Falcons for 244 rushing yards in Berlin. Washington does not want to be the next defense on the wrong end of that kind of performance. The difference now is that the Commanders are built much better to handle it.
Kinlaw has been a major part of that shift. Along with the rest of Washington’s defensive line, he has been putting blockers on skates and stacking up wins against double teams. That kind of work is exactly what keeps a back like Taylor from getting loose.
He is not doing it alone, either. The run front is getting real production from multiple places, including a $90 million starter who is giving Washington more on the field than he might as a trade chip. Kinlaw and Daron Payne are functioning like classic 3-4 defensive ends, using their size to occupy blockers, fill gaps, and free up the linebackers to fly downhill.
It is the kind of work that does not always grab headlines, but it changes games.
Kinlaw, though, is making plenty of noise in his own way. Across three games, he has four run stuffs and two tackles for loss. More important than the numbers is the way he is doing it: using his 6-foot-5, 319-pound frame and sneaky athleticism to control the trenches, blow up runs, and open lanes for rookie linebacker Sonny Styles to keep climbing.
There is power in that kind of football, but there is versatility too. Kinlaw has not just been standing his ground.
He has also been sliding across the line and slanting through gaps, giving defensive coordinator Daronte Jones more freedom to stay aggressive against the run. That means more run blitzes, more stunts, and more pressure on opposing blocking schemes.
Washington is going to need all of it against Taylor, even if the Colts back has not been at his sharpest this season. He has yet to crack 100 rushing yards in a game, and his output dipped to 68 yards against the Houston Texans in Week 3.
That is not exactly the profile of a runner ready to steamroll a defense that is finding its edge. The Commanders held Dallas Cowboys workhorse Jaronte Williams to 30 yards on 12 carries in Week 2, then followed that by limiting Seattle Seahawks runners Jadarian Price and Emanuel Wilson to just 29 yards last week.
The recent form says Washington’s front has a real shot to keep Taylor contained. If that happens, Kinlaw will be a huge reason why - the line-collapsing force the Commanders thought they were getting in 2025, finally looking the part.
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 🡒]