Colts vs. Commanders: Three must-know storylines for NFL Week 4 London game, tell me about this news today

The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders are heading across the Atlantic to kick off the 2026 NFL International Games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Both teams enter Week 4 sitting at 1-2, each having picked up their first win of the season last week.

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Here are the three must-know storylines driving the matchup:

1. Washington Leans on Marcus Mariota as Jayden Daniels Sits

Jayden Daniels was officially ruled out for his second consecutive game due to an elbow injury sustained in Week 2. While he avoided injured reserve and returned to limited practice participation in London, the Commanders are once again turning to veteran backup Marcus Mariota. Mariota is coming off a stellar Week 3 performance where he threw three touchdowns and engineered an upset over Seattle. The question now is whether Mariota can sustain that rhythm against an Indianapolis defense that has struggled statistically this season.

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2. Jonathan Taylor vs. Washington’s Front Seven

The premier positional clash pits Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor against a disciplined Washington run defense. Washington enters the game allowing only 82 rushing yards per game (ranked 3rd in the league), while Taylor has paced Indy’s offensive identity with 258 rushing yards and four touchdowns over the first three weeks. With the Commanders dealing with injuries across their linebacker corps, slowing down Taylor will dictate whether the Colts can control the tempo and keep pressure off their passing game.

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3. Vulnerable Defenses Battling to Find Consistency

Both defensive units enter Week 4 near the bottom of several league-wide metrics. The Colts’ defense has allowed an average of 417.3 total yards per game (32nd in the NFL), though they showed signs of life in their Week 3 victory. Meanwhile, Washington’s secondary ranks 31st against the pass and 31st in scoring defense, giving up over 30 points per game. With both offenses capable of explosive chunk plays and both defenses prone to coverage breakdowns, the winner will likely be whichever defense can force timely turnovers in foreign territory.

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