After the Whistle: Commanders’ fast start fades in 30–13 London loss
Washington led early in London, but quarterback injuries and stalled drives shifted the game to Indianapolis.
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After the Whistle: Commanders’ fast start fades in 30–13 London loss · Carlitos
Open this recap on The Mixed BagWashington had the early momentum in London, but the Commanders’ afternoon unraveled into a 30–13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Odafe Oweh forced a Daniel Jones fumble on the opening series, and Drew Stevens turned the takeaway into a field goal. A 35-yard Marcus Mariota run helped set up another three points, giving Washington a 6–0 lead.
The entire shape of the game changed when Mariota left with a knee injury after Washington’s second drive. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis took over and finished 15 of 33 for 186 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His third-quarter pick gave Indianapolis a short field, and Jonathan Taylor scored four plays later.
Kaliakmanis answered with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Treylon Burks, cutting the deficit back to four. But Washington could not sustain the response. Penalties, pressure and an inconsistent ground game kept ending possessions, while Indianapolis scored 13 more points to pull away.
The Commanders fell to 1–3 and return home to face the New York Giants. The immediate story is bigger than the record: Washington must evaluate Mariota’s knee while Jayden Daniels works toward a possible return to practice.