Colts rally to 30-13 win over Commanders after backup quarterback injury
Indianapolis overcame a slow start to defeat Washington 30-13, aided by the early exit of Commanders backup Marcus Mariota and strong running from Jonathan Taylor.
The Indianapolis Colts turned a sluggish opening into a 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday in London. The turning point came early when Washington backup quarterback Marcus Mariota was injured and left the game, allowing the Colts to seize control.
Before his exit, Mariota had engineered two scoring drives that gave Washington a 6-0 lead, while Indianapolis struggled to generate offensive momentum. Washington then turned to third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who produced a few big plays but was unable to sustain drives.
Relying on the ground game, the Colts leaned on running back Jonathan Taylor, who scored touchdowns in the second and third quarters, the latter following an interception of Kaliakmanis. Washington responded with a long touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to wide receiver Treylon Burks, his first career NFL touchdown, and a 48-yard strike to Dyami Brown, but the effort was insufficient.
In the fourth quarter, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones added a rushing touchdown for Indianapolis, and a subsequent field goal sealed the win. The Commanders failed to convert a late fourth-down attempt, and the Colts ran out the clock.
The victory improves Indianapolis to 2-2 heading into a Week 5 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Washington faces decisions at quarterback, with third-string rookie Kaliakmanis having played the remainder of the game and backup Jayden Daniels potentially needing to step in after a recent elbow injury.