After getting their first win of the 2026 season, the Indianapolis Colts will take a trip across the pond to face the team from the nation's capital, the Washington Commanders.
For both sides, this game will provide the opportunity to get back to .500 on the season, something that is not taken lightly in the NFL. Both teams started the year 0-2, but bounced back with resounding home wins last week.
Now they will play in London, England with a chance to break even on foreign soil.
The Colts found major success internationally last season in an overtime thriller against the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, Jonathan Taylor took over Berlin, rushing for 244 yards and three touchdowns, with 42 yards receiving to go along with it. Not to mention the touchdown that eventually ended the game in overtime to give the Colts their eighth win on the season.
Going international has not been as fruitful for the Commanders as they hold a 0-2-1 record when playing outside of the United States. Last season, they were a part of history as they were the visiting team of the NFL's first-ever regular-season game played in Spain.
That game also ended up going to overtime where they lost on a game winning field goal to the Miami Dolphins. Backup Marcus Mariota started as Jayden Daniels was out with a dislocated left elbow. Now, a year later, it appears it will once again be Mariota as Daniels will likely watch from the sideline with the same exact injury that held him out of last year's overseas game.
Last matchup
It has been four years since these two teams last met. Since that game, there have been franchise-altering overhauls for both sides. With new head coaches, starting QBs and only 19 players remaining from that matchup combined, it will be a completely different scene on Sunday. Washington won the last matchup, 17-16 at Lucas Oil Stadium in October of 2022.
Washington is coming off a win that not many predicted. Last weekend, they handed the reigning champs their first loss of the season. Against the Seattle Seahawks, the Commanders leaned on Mariota and he stepped up big, throwing for three touchdowns and no interceptions. Mariota spread the love as nine different receivers had a catch in that game.
It wasn't just an offensive effort either, as the defense created three turnovers against a team that rarely gives the ball away.
The Commanders ability to take the ball away is something that Colts QB Daniel Jones will have to be mindful of. Against the Houston Texans, the Colts turned the ball over three separate times while forcing no turnovers themselves. Jones fumbled the ball three times, losing twice. Losing the turnover battle typically doesn't lead to good things, but the Colts were able to escape off a game-winning field goal from Spencer Shrader.
Key players for both sides
Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was considering retirement after his season-ending neck surgery that occurred last season. Fortunately for the Colts he decided he wasn’t ready to hang up the cleats quite yet.
In his 11th season in the NFL, Buckner has three sacks through three games, which is double the amount of any other Colt. A striking number for a guy that was debating never touching an NFL field again.
Buckner has been able to get his hands on every quarterback he's played so far this season, and he will look to continue that streak this weekend against his former collegiate teammate at Oregon.
Offensively for the Colts there is a new go to guy with the absence of Alec Pierce. Last week against the Texans, Josh Downs had five receptions for 77 yards on 11 targets. Downs currently leads the league in average separation per route, a stat category that he has consistently been atop of in his career. There is no doubt that Downs was a major part of the game plan going into last Sunday, and it’s hard to think he won't be once again this week.
Now, this game won’t be played in Indianapolis, but Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is very familiar with the city. McLaurin played high school football just 12 miles away from Lucas Oil Stadium. In his one career game against the Colts, McLaurin posted a stat line of six receptions for 113 yards and the game sealing catch that put the commanders on the 1-yard line and eventually allowed them to score the go-ahead touchdown. Regardless of where the game is played, it will mean a little extra for McLaurin.
It would be hard to say that either side would be hoping to be back at .500 after Week 4 going into the season, but they will be striving for that this weekend. As one team could get a fresh start to the year another could fall to 1-3. Only 14% of teams in NFL history have made the playoffs after starting 1-3.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen understands the importance of this game and is adamant about not getting caught up in the excitement of playing in another country.
Steichen stated, “It’s a business trip, I mean we're going over there to win a football game.”
For one side, the flight back home will feel like a long, turbulent ride back into a 1-3 hole. For the other, it will be a takeoff to a season that will feel like it is finally on course.
