The Washington Commanders entered Sunday’s Week 4 game in London hoping to even their record at 2-2, facing the 1-2 Indianapolis Colts, one week after upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. After a fast start, it looked like the Commanders would roll over the Colts; then quarterback Marcus Mariota injured his knee late in the fourth quarter. Rookie seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis replaced him, and Washington’s offense struggled.
There were other factors, too. Washington’s defense wore down in the second. Pre-snap penalties continue to be a killer. The officiating was horrendously one-sided, and the Commanders’ defense wore down in the second half. That’s hardly a recipe for success for a rookie seventh-rounder forced
into action. Kaliakmanis had his moments, though, throwing a beautiful touchdown to Treylon Burks and hitting on another big deep ball to Dyami Brown. He also saw an 87-yard touchdown called back. The result: Indianapolis defeated Washington 30-13.
At this point, it doesn’t matter how you got there. As Bill Parcells once famously said, “You are what your record says you are.” Parcells is correct, and the Commanders are 1-3. While there are multiple reasons for that record, Washington has only won three of its last 16 games. You can’t blame all of that on injuries and officiating.
Next up for Washington is the surprising first-place New York Giants. This is a big one for the Commanders. They lose this game, they fall to 1-4 and 0-3 in the division. But before we completely turn the page to Week 5, let’s take one last look back at Week 4. Here’s how we graded the Commanders in our Week 4 report cards.
Offense: C-
This was hard to grade. It’s hard to judge an entire group when you’re playing with a rookie third-string quarterback who’s thrust into action. Kaliakmanis did much better than anyone expected. He’s fearless in the pocket. He took several hits, got right back up, and kept his eyes downfield. He loves throwing downfield, too much at times, but that could also be a result of a more limited playbook. Kaliakmanis needed more safety valves. Speaking of: Where are the tight ends in this offense so far? Another reason it’s hard to judge this unit is that it’s missing its top two quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota; its top wide receiver, Terry McLaurin; and its two best offensive linemen, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right guard Sam Cosmi. That’s a lot to overcome, especially during a game. The positives: the offense looked great early before Mariota got hurt. The negative: the Commanders settled for two field goals once they got inside the 15-yard line. Finish those drives with touchdowns and this grade goes up. The running game struggled again, yet the newly re-signed Austin Ekeler, in his first game in over a year, found a way to rush for 29 yards on only four carries. He needs to play more.
Defense: B-
I wanted to give them a higher grade. But you can’t give up 30 points — AGAIN — and expect anything higher. They dominated Indianapolis in the first 20 minutes. If not for a questionable penalty in the second quarter, that first touchdown wouldn’t have happened. The defense forced two turnovers this week, and the offense managed only three points off those turnovers. Don’t blame the defense. Washington held Indy to only 257 total yards. Another impressive number. The Colts made only five of 16 third downs and averaged just 3.9 yards per play. However, Indianapolis scored 20 second-half points and was able to run late in the game when the Commanders knew it was coming and couldn’t stop it. The defense didn’t get much help from the offense or special teams (more on that later). So, while we’d generally grade a unit that allowed 30 points or more, we cut them some slack because the defense did do some good things. It’s also worth remembering they weren’t facing a juggernaut either. The Colts do have an excellent offensive line and an elite running back, though.
Special teams: C-
The kick coverage was good. So was the punt coverage. That’s generally always true for Larry Izzo's unit. Kicker Drew Stevens made both field goals and his only extra point. Wide receivers Jaylin Lane and Dyami Brown averaged 27 yards per return combined. Lane had a big return called back due to a penalty. Washington committed two penalties on returns. What really drags this unit down is longtime punter and team captain Tress Way. Way is phenomenal in every sense, but he averaged 37.8 yards per return. Don’t be deceived by those three punts landing inside the 20-yard line. The Commanders were kicking near midfield. In a close game with the defense playing well and an offense playing with a rookie, field position was critical. Way had his worst game in a while. Washington lost the field position battle, and his punts played a big part. It wasn’t a good day for Way, but he’ll be fine.
Coaching: D+
Dan Quinn’s game management remains questionable at times. And what was going on with that fourth-and-2 near midfield with a rookie quarterback? If Daniels or Mariota were in the game, that’s a no-brainer, but with a rookie passer, a reshuffled offensive line, and a struggling running game, was this the right call? Compare this with the first drive. Washington edge Odafe Oweh had a strip-sack-fumble and returned it to the red zone. On fourth down, why didn’t Quinn go for it with Mariota playing? It was like a free possession? Offensive coordinator David Blough continues to see his unit get pre-snap penalties. That’s five in two weeks. You can’t blame the officials here. That’s on the coach to work overtime with his quarterbacks to ensure everyone is lined up correctly before each snap. Finally, defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is still looking for a complete game. We are seeing glimpses each week. Last week it was with turnovers. This week we saw a dominant unit in the first half. This 2026 team will always struggle against elite passing offenses, but that’s not the Colts. Would like to see a stronger game from start to finish, specifically in the second half. I believe Jones is trending in the right direction, and Blough will be fine once he gets stability at quarterback and the pre-snap stuff is handled.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders report card: How we graded Washington in Week 4 loss to Colts
