The Washington Commanders (1-2) face the Indianapolis Colts (1-2) in London in Week 4 for the NFL’s third international game of the season. It’s the first of three international games in London this season, with Sunday’s game emanating from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Washington is coming off an impressive 33-31 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota passed for three touchdowns behind a patchwork offensive line against the NFL's top defense.
The Colts also picked up their first win last week, a 19-17 win over the Houston Texans.
Here are six things to know about Sunday’s game:
International history
Sunday will be the fourth international game for the Colts and the third in four seasons. Indianapolis is 2-1 in international games,
having won its last two, including a 31-25 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons last season in Berlin, Germany.
This will also be Washington’s fourth international game. The first one was in 2011, when the then-Redskins lost to the Buffalo Bills 23-0 in Toronto. In 2016, the franchise faced the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium in London. That game ended in a 27-27 tie. Last season, the Commanders played in the first-ever NFL game in Madrid and lost to the Miami Dolphins in overtime, 16-13.
Series history
The Colts lead the all-time series 21-13. The first game in this series came all the way back in 1950, when the Redskins beat the Colts 38-14. Indianapolis has won four of the past five meetings.
Terry McLaurin was the hero in 2022
The Colts had won four straight until Oct. 30, 2022, when the Commanders defeated them 17-16. Taylor Heinicke was Washington’s quarterback on that day, and he scored the game-winning touchdown with under one minute remaining. However, wide receiver Terry McLaurin made it happen, beating Stephon Gilmore for a 33-yard reception at the 1-yard line. It was a homecoming for McLaurin, who is from Indianapolis and grew up a Colts fan.
Terry McLaurin OVER Stephon Gilmore 🤯
— PFF (@PFF) October 30, 2022
pic.twitter.com/aTyU8Ummxd
Daniel Jones’ history vs. Commanders
Daniel Jones is in his second season as the Colts’ quarterback. Before that, Jones spent several seasons with the New York Giants, where he started nine games against Washington. 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 have a big run against Washington, rushing for 410 yards and two touchdowns.
We’re about to learn how good this run defense is
Over three weeks, Washington’s run defense has been one of the top units in the NFL. Outside of one run, the Eagles struggled to run in Week 1. The Cowboys and Seahawks couldn’t get anything going on the ground. Now the Colts come to town with one of the NFL’s top running backs, Jonathan Taylor. A three-time Pro Bowler and former NFL rushing leader, Taylor has close to 8,000 rushing yards in his NFL career. In three games this season, he has 258 yards and four touchdowns. We are about to find out how good this Washington run defense is.
Colts’ defensive rankings
While much has been made of Washington’s pass defense, the Colts have struggled defensively across the board. Indianapolis ranks 32nd in total defense, 30th in pass defense and 29th in run defense. Marcus Mariota could have opportunities to succeed against this defense.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders vs Indianapolis Colts: 6 things to know for Week 4 in London
