Penalties, injuries doom Commanders in London loss to Colts
by Liam Griffin · The Washington TimesLONDON — The Commanders’ best defensive performance of the season wasn’t enough to buoy an up-and-down debut for third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, as Washington dropped an intentional tilt against the Indianapolis Colts 30-13.
A promising start to the game proved short-lived for Washington. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota — filling in for the injured Jayden Daniels — was knocked out of the matchup on the second drive of the game with a knee injury.
The Commanders led 6-0 at the time.
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A game that began with so much potential became an afternoon riddled with mistakes, frustrating the Washington fans who traveled more than 3,000 miles to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London.
Washington’s defense forced a turnover on the first drive of the game. Edge rusher Odafe Oweh forced a lineman directly into the lap of Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones. The veteran dropped the football, giving Oweh a sack, forced fumble and a recovery.
The Commanders settled for a field goal, though. The offense looked promising on their second drive, with a pair of 35-yard gains by Mariota and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt placing Washington in striking distance. They ultimately settled for a second field goal.
With Mariota sidelined, the defense rallied to keep the Commanders in the game, forcing three punts and two turnovers on Indianapolis’ first five drives.
Meanwhile, the Commanders’ attack stalled under Kaliakmanis, Mariota’s replacement, recording four punts and a turnover on downs in the rookie’s first five drives as the game remained locked at 6-0.
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Kaliakmanis finished his debut 15-of-31 with 186 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The Commanders’ defense couldn’t stay impenetrable forever. The Colts drove into Commanders territory midway through the second quarter, but Washington appeared to force a field goal attempt after tackling receiver Josh Downs short of the first-down marker on a third-and-long.
But an unnecessary roughness call on Commanders cornerback Amik Robertson extended the drive. The Colts scored on a five-yard scamper by running back Jonathan Taylor three plays later, giving Indianapolis a 7-6 advantage.
A successful two-minute drill to end the first half extended that lead to 10-6.
The halftime break didn’t help the Commanders. Washington received the second-half kickoff and quickly turned the ball over, as Kaliakmanis tossed an interception right at linebacker Jaylon Carlies.
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The Colts again capitalized on the mistake, with Taylor scoring on another five-yard run.
Washington wasn’t ready to board their 8-hour flight home without a fight. Kaliakmanis finally found his downfield touch, feathering a beautiful pass to Treylon Burks for a 47-yard touchdown.
The much-needed signs of life from the offense narrowed the score to 17-13.
Another defensive stand kept the score close, as the Colts settled for a 52-yard field goal and a 20-13 lead after their next drive.
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The Commanders were stuck riding the rookie wave with Kaliakmanis. The first-year player gave them a jolt of energy with another deep bomb, this time a 47-yard strike to Dyami Brown midway through the third quarter.
But, inevitably, Kaliakmanis made rookie mistakes. On the same drive, with Washington at the opposing 35-yard line, Kaliakmanis took a third-down sack that pushed his team out of field goal range.
The shot at an upset became increasingly unlikely as similar missteps doomed the Commanders in the second half.
Washington was primed to tie the game after another defensive stop late in the third quarter limited Indianapolis’ advantage.
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On offense, Kaliakmanis found fellow rookie Antonio Williams open along the sideline with room to run. The receiver made a couple of defenders miss and beat the rest of the secondary in a footrace to the end zone for an 87-yard touchdown.
At least, it was momentarily an 87-yard touchdown. Williams didn’t see the penalty flags as he celebrated the potential game-tying score. Kaliakmanis noticed them. He stood unmoving near his own 10-yard line. The Commanders were called for holding and an illegal shift on the play, forcing them into a third-and-long that elicited their fifth punt of the afternoon.
The Colts, led by a veteran in Jones, avoided those same mistakes in the second half. His four-yard touchdown scramble at the start of the fourth quarter iced the game, giving the Colts an insurmountable 27-13 lead.
The Washington defense kept Jones and Taylor in check for most of the game. Subpar punts and turnovers gave the Indianapolis attack short fields to work with. Jones finished with 143 passing yards, completing 19 of 34 passes with the early interception and late rushing score.
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Taylor grew more efficient as the game wore on, ultimately rushing for 95 yards on 20 carries. Washington limited Indianapolis’ explosive opportunities. Taylor’s longest run of the day was just 12 yards, and Jones managed just a single completion of more than 15 yards.
The Colts added another field goal late in the fourth quarter, making the once-close game look more like a blowout.
The Commanders, now 1-3, host the New York Giants next Sunday, while the 2-2 Colts will face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Liam Griffin
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