The Washington Commanders face an old nemesis on Sunday. That old nemesis is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. During Jones’ six seasons with the New York Giants, he went 5-3-1 against the Commanders, completing 69% of his passes for 1,862 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Jones always seemed to hurt Washington with his legs, too, rushing for 410 yards and two touchdowns.
Now in his second year with the Colts, Jones excels in the play-action passing game. His top target in the play-action game is tight end Tyler Warren.
Uh oh. Have you seen how Washington has fared against tight ends over the years? It doesn't matter who the defensive coordinator is or which players are on the field; opponents strike gold when targeting
tight ends against the Commanders. It’s not unusual for a tight end you’ve never heard of to catch two touchdowns against Washington.
Washington’s pass defense has struggled through three weeks. So it’s no surprise the Commanders have also struggled to defend play action. Per Warren Sharp of Sharp Analysis, Washington’s opponents are 22-for-30 on play-action passes this season, averaging 11.5 yards per matchup. Jones uses play action on 35% of his dropbacks and Warren has 38% of those play-action targets.
Commanders defense vs play action this season:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 2, 2026
11.5 yards per attempt (31st)
22 of 30
Now they face Daniel Jones, who uses play action on 35% of his dropbacks (4th-most in NFL)
His top play-action target: Tyler Warren (38% of PA targets)
Full matchup analysis:…
Is this the week the Commanders end two narratives: one, they can’t stop Daniels Jones, or two, they can’t cover tight ends?
Or is it business as usual for Jones and Warren?
Washington’s current defense has something it lacked for years: speed and athleticism. Jones never lined up across from Sonny Styles during his time in New York.
We’ll see on Sunday, but these matchups could very well determine whether the Commanders leave London 1-3 or 2-2.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Two matchups will play a huge role in Commanders' Week 4 game vs Colts
