The Indianapolis Colts picked up their second straight win Sunday in London, taking down the Washington Commanders 30-13 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was a crucial victory that pushed the Colts to a 2-2 record after a rough 0-2 start, while the Commanders tumbled to 1-3, clearly struggling to find any consistent footing early in the season. What a wild ride it was for Washington, whose quarterback situation went from bad to worse to… well, a little bit crazy.
Washington’s QB Nightmare and Costly Blunders
Let’s just say the Commanders were already facing a brutal uphill battle before kickoff. Both starting quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) and star receiver Terry McLaurin (hamstring) were sidelined with injuries. Then, in the first quarter, starting QB Marcus Mariota went down with a knee injury on a sack. Just like that, Washington was forced to turn to seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis, a guy from Rutgers, under center. Talk about being thrown into the fire! Kaliakmanis immediately felt the heat, struggling with pressure from the Indianapolis defense.
But the Commanders’ issues weren’t just about their emergency quarterback. This team kept shooting itself in the foot. While holding a 6-0 lead, they turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory. You just can’t do that, not with a third-string rookie QB trying to find his rhythm. Then, to make things worse, they committed an unnecessary roughness penalty on a Colts’ third-down attempt, keeping the drive alive. Indianapolis, of course, took full advantage, with star running back Jonathan Taylor punching in the game’s first touchdown. Even Colts QB Daniel Jones had a shaky start himself, losing a fumble on the game’s first possession and throwing an ugly pick to Rasul Douglas, but he started to settle in as the half wore on.
Kaliakmanis’ Roller Coaster and Colts Capitalizing
The second half was a true roller coaster for Kaliakmanis. He started it by throwing an interception to Jaylon Carlies, which the Colts immediately converted into *another* Jonathan Taylor touchdown. It felt like the game was totally slipping away from the rookie. But then, he did something stunning: he responded with a ridiculous 47-yard touchdown pass to Treylon Burks! Seriously, a bomb! He wasn’t hesitant to unleash those deep balls, and he even connected with Dyami Brown on another deep shot on the very next possession. That momentum was quickly snuffed out by a big sack, though, ending the scoring threat.
Then came the real gut punch for Washington. Kaliakmanis connected with Antonio Williams for an 87-yard touchdown, a huge play where Williams did most of the work, only for it to be nullified by a penalty. That overturned touchdown ended up being Washington’s last realistic shot at staying in the game. From there, the Colts took over. They marched 52 yards on nine plays for another touchdown, opening up a two-score lead. This time, Daniel Jones ran it in himself. Jones then directed a field goal drive in the fourth quarter after Kaliakmanis again turned it over on downs. Kaliakmanis showed some serious guts and flashes of potential, like that incredible 47-yard score, but his valiant efforts simply weren’t enough to secure the win in London.
The Commanders, now 1-3, will head home to host the rival New York Giants. That’s gonna be a tough one with the questions swirling around their quarterback room. Meanwhile, the Colts are riding high at 2-2 and will host the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re definitely looking to sustain this momentum they’ve built over the last two weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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