The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Washington Commanders 30-13 in a regular-season NFL game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, rds.ca reported.
Jonathan Taylor and Ground Attack Carry Colts Past Washington
Jonathan Taylor led the Indianapolis offense with 95 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. Quarterback Daniel Jones finished 19 of 34 for 143 passing yards, added a rushing touchdown, and committed two turnovers, according to rds.ca reporting.
The victory improves the Colts’ record to 2-2 after starting the campaign with two losses. For Washington, it was a third loss in four games this season.
Commanders Lose Backup Quarterback Marcus Mariotta to Knee Injury
Washington’s quarterback depth took another hit during the first quarter when Marcus Mariotta was tackled in the red zone and exited with a right knee injury, rds.ca noted. Mariotta was serving as the backup following an injury to Jayden Daniels two weeks prior against the Dallas Cowboys.
Athan Kaliakmanis entered the game in relief, making his NFL debut at 23 years of age. Kaliakmanis completed 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown pass, while throwing an interception and failing to convert on two separate fourth-down attempts.
The Commanders also lost returner Jaylin Lane to an ankle injury and defensive player Charles Omenihu to a groin injury during the game.
First-Half Struggles Precede Indianapolis Pulling Away
Washington held the lead for the majority of the first half, opening the scoring with two field goals. The Colts defense surrendered two sacks and two turnovers early, including a fumble on the team’s opening possession and an interception by Rasul Douglas in the second quarter.
Indianapolis broke through late in the second quarter following a third-down penalty against Amik Robertson. Taylor capped a nine-play drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Colts a 7-6 advantage, which grew to 10-6 at halftime via a field goal from Spencer Shrader.
Taylor extended the lead to 17-6 early in the third quarter with another 5-yard scoring run. Kaliakmanis responded by connecting with Treylon Burks on a 47-yard touchdown pass. After Shrader kicked a 52-yard field goal for Indianapolis, Kaliakmanis hit Dyami Brown for a 48-yard gain, though Washington later stalled on a third-down stop.
An 87-yard touchdown run by Antonio Williams was negated in the second half due to two penalties against Washington. Jones later sealed the 30-13 final score with a 4-yard rushing touchdown following a drive where Taylor rushed six times for over 40 yards.
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