London was calling, and the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders answered.
The NFL went back to London for the first of three games in the capital of the United Kingdom on Sunday, Oct. 4.
A week after the Colts won their first matchup since their Week 10 win in Berlin last November, Indianapolis proved its dominance overseas once again. They took down the Commanders in a 30-13 victory at Tottenham Hostpur Stadium as Washington lost backup quarterback Marcus Mariota to a knee injury.
Here are all of the winners and losers from the NFL's return to London in 2026:
Winners
Jonathan Taylor
Another international game, another big day for the Colts' star running back. Taylor didn't quite reach the highs
that he did in Berlin last year, but he still finished the Week 4 clash with the Commanders with 95 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
Austin Ekeler
The Commanders only signed Ekeler on Tuesday, Sept. 29, so his participation in the London game was in question. Even if he were to play, there was an understanding it would be in a limited role as he gets familiar with the Commanders' offensive playbook. Indeed, his participation was limited with just five touches for the veteran running back, but Ekeler looked fully capable of taking over duties leading the backfield in Washington. As Croskey-Merritt and other running backs struggled, Ekeler led the way with 29 rushing yards on four carries (7.3 yards per carry). He added a catch for 11 yards too. Once he gets more familiar, Ekeler could take back starting duties sooner rather than later.
NFC East contenders
The Eagles, Giants and Cowboys can breathe a sigh of relief. After Washington pulled off a shocking upset over the reigning Super Bowl champs last week, these Commanders do not look like they will be much of a threat in the division. They entered Week 4 already quite banged up, and things only got worse as they lost backup quarterback Marcus Mariota to a knee injury early. Third-string rookie Athan Kaliakmanis was fun to watch with his love of the deep ball, but he had a hard time keeping Washington offense in the game against the Colts.
Losers
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
With Rachaad White out with a shoulder injury, Croskey-Merritt had a big chance to step up and prove his worth in this Commanders' offense. Instead, Ekeler came in and took his lunch money. The veteran running back put up 29 rushing yards on only four carries with an additional 11 yards on one catch, while second-year Croskey-Merritt mustered only 15 yards on nine carries. He did put up an additional 35 yards on two catches, but his rushing performance did not inspire confidence that he can poach touches from Ekeler once the vet is full up to speed.
Daniel Jones
Two plays into the game, the Colts' quarterback lost a ridiculous fumble as he stumbled backwards under pressure. The next three drives in the first quarter for Indianapolis ended in punts. On the Colts' fifth possession – and first in the second quarter – Jones threw a bad interception on another third-and-long play. The veteran settled down a bit by the second half and didn't have any more giveaways in the Week 4 matchup, but Jones' overall performance was heavily dragged down by the abysmal first half he had.
The @Commanders defense recovers the fumble on the first drive of the game! @INDvsWAS on NFL Network
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/6nezOvIvJN
Sauce Gardner
In a game largely playing against the Commanders' third-string quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, Gardner kept getting burned. His biggest play allowed was a 47-yard touchdown to Treylon Burks after the receiver cooked him on a double move. One defensive snap later, he gave up a 48-yard catch to Dyami Brown. After that, Gardner also was called for a defensive holding penalty on fourth down that extended a Commanders drive. It was a really rough day for the former first-round pick – and a player whom the Colts traded two first-round picks to acquire.
Washington Commanders' injury luck
Washington entered this game missing starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, top receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Rachaad White, guard Sam Cosmi, safety Nick Cross, linebacker Leo Chenal and many others. During the game, the Commanders lost backup quarterback Marcus Mariota early with a knee injury, defensive end Charles Omenihu to a groin injury and receiver/returner Jaylin Lane to an ankle injury. Just a brutal season of injuries for Washington in a year the team hoped would be a bounce-back from a 5-12 disappointment in 2025.
Tottenham Hotspur
The English Premier League team has hosted 13 NFL games at their new stadium since it opened in 2019. This year, Spurs have the unique distinction of not having won a Premier League game before the NFL came to town. Five matches into the Premier League season, Tottenham is at the bottom of the table with just two points thanks to a couple of scoreless draws. It means the Colts from the NFL have won a game at Tottenham's stadium before Spurs have.
NFL fans in London
For all the talk about the league trying to grow the game abroad, the NFL rarely sends its best to the United Kingdom. NFL fans in London were subject to another subpar matchup on Sunday, with the 1-2 Colts – a team that just ended a nine-game losing streak, and barely – and the 1-2 Commanders – a team without their starting quarterback. Entering the game, 12 of the last 17 games in London hit the under. This Week 4 game went under again, and it was not so much about great defense as it was woeful offense.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colts roll to victory over Commanders. Winners and losers of NFL London game
