And welcome Washington’s injury bug which must have stowed away on the flight to London. The mighty Commanders defense that overwhelmed the Colts at times could not overcome having another quarterback knocked out of commission. Indianapolis capitalised on the misfortune with crafty running back Jonathan Taylor carrying them to a 30-13 victory.
The Commanders were already missing starting quarterback Jayden Daniels with an elbow injury and their pesky interloper wasn’t satisfied that Washington had endured enough torment. The game-defining moment came early as a knee injury forced backup passer Marcus Mariota out of the contest after a strong start. Rookie third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis replaced him and though he delivered the play of the game with an incredible showcase of vision and accuracy on a 47-yard touchdown throw, it was too much, too soon for the 23-year-old.
Washington’s brutal defense, fresh from toppling the Super Bowl champions last week, burst out of the traps as defensive tackle Odafe Oweh drove his opposite number Bernhard Raimann straight into Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. The stunned signal caller fell backwards while coughing the ball up to the Commanders who had a turnover after two plays and three points after a 31-yard field goal from Drew Stevens. From then on it mattered little that Jones continued to struggle in the face of Washington’s ferocious front seven.
The Colts passer would finish with 19 completions from 34 attempts for 143 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Lucky for Indianapolis that they have the capable legs of Taylor who picked up the quarterback’s slack with 95 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns either side of half-time. His game-winning efforts sandwiched a 48-yard Spencer Shrader boot that put the Colts 17-6 up at the break and out of sight.
Meanwhile Kaliakmanis was dealing with the pressure of being thrust into his first professional game. The crowd noticeably quietened at defeat looming far too early as veteran running back Austin Ekeler edged the Commanders to midfield. Those in burgundy and gold had accepted their fate after the unknown QB had started the second half with an ominous interception that set up Taylor’s second score.
The backup’s backup quickly restored some faith though with a breathtaking throw. Kaliakmanis saw Treylon Burks breaking down the left sideline and drove the arcing pass just ahead of the sprinting receiver’s path. Burks made the grab in stride for the touchdown.
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