The Washington Commanders hopped the pond this week and will face the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
The Commanders are looking for their second win of the season, and on paper, they have plenty of reasons to believe it can happen. Indianapolis has shown plenty of vulnerabilities through the first three weeks, particularly on defense, while Washington has demonstrated some encouraging signs despite its own struggles. The Commanders don’t have a solid track record in international games, but their matchup with the Colts provides an interesting opportunity to change that.
Let’s take a look at three reasons for optimism heading into Week 4.
Colts’ defensive struggles
We’ll break this down by run defense and
the secondary.
Run defense: While the Commanders’ ground game hasn't been stellar, they are averaging 132 rushing yards per game, good enough to rank eighth in the NFL. The Colts’ run defense allows 141.3 yards per game, which ranks 29th in the league.
This gives Washington a way to control the game without asking Marcus Mariota to carry the offense. Establishing the run early will force Indianapolis to commit extra defenders to the box and create opportunities for Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, and the tight ends.
Secondary: Indianapolis allows 276 passing yards per game, 30th in the NFL, and has zero interceptions through three games. The Commanders are averaging 182 passing yards per game against three top-10 passing defenses. They have the personnel to take advantage of this, and those players must show up.
Terry McLaurin has 141 receiving yards, while Stefon Diggs already has three touchdowns. If Indianapolis focuses too heavily on one of them, Washington has another established target who can win a matchup: Antonio Williams.
Washington proved it can win a shootout
They were two points from beating the Philadelphia Eagles, then got smacked by the Dallas Cowboys when Jayden Daniels got hurt. Last week, the Commanders won a 33-31 shootout with the reigning Super Bowl champions. It wasn’t a perfect win, but it was still encouraging.
The Commanders kept responding on offense and ultimately held on for their first win of the season. Mariota has thrown for 294 yards and four touchdowns through three games and has yet to throw an interception. The Colts, meanwhile, have struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone. They’re allowing 30.3 points per game, which is 30th in the NFL, and their defense ranks last in total yards allowed per game at 417.3.
Washington doesn’t necessarily need to dominate defensively if the offense continues producing, and with the way the defense is playing, the offense can sit back and operate comfortably.
Commanders own the turnover battle
The Commanders enter Week 4 at +2 in turnover differential, while the Colts sit at -5. Indianapolis has thrown three interceptions but has not gotten any of its own. In fact, their only turnover has been a fumble recovery.
Last week against the Seattle Seahawks, the Commanders recorded three turnovers while not turning the ball over themselves. If the Commanders can keep the ball and force Indianapolis into the occasional mistake, they can create short fields that make this offense considerably more dangerous.
The most encouraging part of this matchup is that Washington doesn’t have to be perfect. The Colts have struggled defensively, particularly against the run and through the air. Washington has a chance to run the ball, improve its +2 turnover differential, and use its receiving talent to exploit Indianapolis’ secondary.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts: 3 reasons for optimism
