The Indianapolis Colts found their rhythm Sunday in London, overcoming an early deficit to cruise to a commanding 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A sluggish start featured a fumble on the second snap from scrimmage and an interception from quarterback Daniel Jones. Commanders linebacker Odafe Oweh rushed left tackle Bernhard Raimann into Jones’ stepback, forcing a fumble that Oweh recovered near the red zone. Washington capitalized with a pair of chip shots
from kicker Drew Stevens to take a 6-0 lead midway through the opening frame.
Running back Jonathan Taylor led the way with 95 rushing yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, while the Colts’ defense delivered a pair of takeaways and key stops to keep Washington from mounting a comeback.
Indy’s offense began to settle in the second quarter as Jones connected with tight end Tyler Warren for a 12-yard gain on third down to move past midfield. After an unnecessary roughness penalty extended the drive, the Colts fed Taylor to follow his blockers, and the international star bounced left for a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Colts their first lead, which they never relinquished.
The Colts carried that momentum into the final two-minute drive to close the first half. Jones connected with Warren and Ashton Dulin to move the offense into enemy territory before kicker Spencer Shrader drilled a 48-yard field goal as time expired giving Indianapolis a 10-6 halftime lead.
The Colts’ defense terminated the Commanders first drive of the second half. After forcing Washington into third-and-17, linebacker Jaylon Carlies tipped a pass on the run from Commanders quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and came down with his first career interception at Washington’s 27-yard line. Taylor made the Commanders pay, capping off the ensuing drive with his second 5-yard touchdown run to extend Indianapolis’ lead to 17-6.
Washington answered with an explosive play as Kaliakmanis found Treylon Burks wide open deep for a 47-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 17-13. The Colts defense did let up a few monstrous gains, but held firm with the pass rush as cornerback Justin Walley recorded his first career sack, while Laiatu Latu and Adetomiwa Adebawore combined for another sack.
Shrader drilled a 52-yard field goal to restore a seven-point cushion before the Colts took control in the fourth quarter, then he sealed the victory with a 44-yarder midway through the fourth.
Indianapolis leaned on Taylor and the punishing ground game to sustain a long drive into the red zone. Jones mastered the run-pass-option and kept it himself to stroll into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to two possessions.
Jones finished 19-of-34 passing for 143 yards, with one interception and no passing touchdowns. Indianapolis (2-2) now turns its attention to Pittsburgh, where the Colts will visit the Steelers (2-2) next Sunday at 1 p.m. in a Week 5 matchup.
