The Washington Commanders’ offense is officially a full-blown disaster zone, now rolling with third-string rookie Athan Kaliakmanis under center after Marcus Mariota limped off with a knee injury today. Talk about brutal luck. The Colts are up 10-6 at halftime, and it’s pretty clear why Washington is struggling to keep pace.
Washington’s QB Nightmare Is Real
Look, you never want to see a starter go down, but Jayden Daniels wasn’t even active today because of an elbow injury. Then Marcus Mariota, who was actually moving the ball pretty well, had to exit with a knee injury. That’s how Athan Kaliakmanis, a rookie and the *third-stringer*, ended up running the show. And yeah, it shows. The offense just stopped. It’s not all on Kaliakmanis, though. The protection has been absolutely nonexistent, leaving the kid throwing under pressure play after play. It’s hard to expect much when your rookie QB is getting eaten alive in the pocket. They absolutely have to figure out how to protect him if they want any chance to even move the ball.
Colts Aren’t Exactly Lighting It Up Either, But Found A Way
Here’s the kicker: the Colts’ offense hasn’t exactly been great either. Quarterback Daniel Jones has looked mostly awful today. Yet, they still managed to get on the board with a Jonathan Taylor touchdown run. That drive, though, got a massive assist from what looked like a super questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on Washington’s Amik Robertson, which turned a third-down stop into extended life for the Colts. So, while Washington is dealing with a full-blown QB crisis, the Colts found a way to capitalize, even with their own starter struggling. They’re up, and Jones has got to shake off this ugly start if they want to keep that lead going.
The Commanders are staring down the barrel of a major protection issue and a rookie QB getting thrown into the fire. Washington needs to find some answers for Kaliakmanis, and the Colts need Daniel Jones to snap out of his funk in the second half.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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