Colts 30, Commanders 13: a third-string debut and a London unraveling
With Jayden Daniels inactive and Marcus Mariota knocked out, Washington handed a rookie his NFL debut in London — and Indianapolis made him pay for it.
Washington's trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was undone before halftime by the quarterback depth chart. With Jayden Daniels inactive because of a left elbow injury and Marcus Mariota leaving with a right knee injury that he did not return from, the Commanders turned to rookie Athan Kaliakmanis for his NFL debut — and the Indianapolis Colts turned a 6-0 deficit into a 30-13 Week 4 win on Sunday, per ESPN.
Ten points a quarter
Washington's defense did its part early, holding Indianapolis scoreless in the first quarter while two field goals built a 6-0 lead. Then the Colts settled into a drumbeat: 10 points in each of the final three quarters, per Football Nation USA. Jonathan Taylor hammered in two 5-yard touchdown runs on his way to 95 yards on 20 carries, Daniel Jones added a 4-yard rushing score, and Spencer Shrader drilled field goals of 48, 52 and 44 yards.
The turning point
The game swung in the third quarter when Jaylon Carlies intercepted Kaliakmanis, setting up Indianapolis's second touchdown. The rookie's final line — 15-of-33 for 186 yards with one touchdown and one interception — included a genuine highlight, a 47-yard touchdown to Treylon Burks, but Washington's penalties and stalled drives wasted a defensive performance that deserved better.
What it means
Indianapolis heads home at 2-2, having won without gaudy passing numbers (Jones threw for just 143 yards) by being ruthless in the red zone. Washington falls to 1-3, and the record is now the second-biggest concern on the flight home: the Commanders' season rests on how quickly Daniels's elbow heals — and on what Mariota's knee exam says.