Commanders lose Mariota, fall 30–13 to Colts in London

LONDON — Washington opened with two field goals and a defense that forced two turnovers. By the end of Sunday’s 30–13 loss to Indianapolis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Commanders had lost Marcus Mariota to a knee injury and could not turn those early opportunities into enough points.

Jonathan Taylor rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, helping the Colts move to 2–2. Washington fell to 1–3 after scoring only one touchdown, a 47-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis to Treylon Burks in the third quarter.

Mariota started with Jayden Daniels inactive, completed three of four passes for 46 yards and added a 35-yard run. He was sacked on Washington’s second possession and did not return. Kaliakmanis finished 15 of 33 for 186 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“It’s not about me. It’s about this team,” Kaliakmanis said after the game, in comments reported by The Associated Press, reflecting on his touchdown and the loss.

Washington’s first two possessions reached the red zone, but both ended with Drew Stevens field goals. Odafe Oweh recovered Daniel Jones’ fumble on the Colts’ opening drive, giving the Commanders the ball at Indianapolis’ 21-yard line. Stevens’ 31-yard kick put Washington ahead 3–0 with 12:57 remaining in the first quarter.

Mariota’s long run helped Washington reach the Colts’ 5 on its next possession. The sack pushed the offense back, and Stevens made a 29-yard field goal for a 6–0 lead. Rasul Douglas later intercepted Jones, but Washington did not add points from that takeaway.

The lead lasted until Taylor scored from 5 yards with 3:23 left in the second quarter. Spencer Shrader’s 48-yard field goal on the final play of the half sent Indianapolis into the break ahead 10–6.

The Colts widened the gap after Jaylon Carlies intercepted Kaliakmanis early in the third quarter. Taylor’s second 5-yard touchdown run made it 17–6 with 12:45 left. Washington answered quickly: Kaliakmanis found Burks for the 47-yard score at 10:39, cutting the deficit to four.

That was Washington’s final scoring play. Shrader made a 52-yard field goal, Jones ran for a 4-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and Shrader added a 44-yard kick with 5:48 remaining. Indianapolis scored the game’s last 13 points.

Washington finished with 317 total yards to Indianapolis’ 257, but converted only two of 15 third downs and one of four fourth downs. Neither of its two red-zone possessions produced a touchdown. The Colts converted all three of their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.

Penalties also cost Washington. The Commanders committed 10 for 84 yards, compared with one for 5 yards for Indianapolis. An illegal shift erased an 87-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams in the third quarter. Dyami Brown led Washington with 65 receiving yards on three catches; Burks’ touchdown was his only reception.

Jones completed 19 of 34 passes for 143 yards with an interception. Indianapolis nevertheless finished with 128 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, enough to turn Washington’s promising start into a decisive defeat.

The Commanders return home to face the New York Giants next Sunday. Quinn said after the game that the team believed Mariota had an MCL injury and needed more information. After those scans, “we’ll have a better sense of what’s ahead,” he said, in comments reported by Washington Post reporter Nicki Jhabvala.