Colts vs. Commanders: Daniels’ elbow a huge Week 4 risk
The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders meet Sunday, Oct. 4, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and the biggest Colts vs. Commanders question isn’t on the stat sheet. It’s whether Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels can play through a dislocated left elbow.
Kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. ET. Washington coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday it’s “too early to call” whether Daniels will return, according to The Associated Press. Daniels dislocated the elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys and missed last week’s game against Seattle. Quinn said the team will have “a definite determination” by Friday.
Both teams are 1-2 and coming off their first wins of the season. The Colts ended a nine-game losing streak with a 19-17 win over Houston, and the Commanders held off the defending champion Seahawks 33-31 behind backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Colts vs. Commanders game information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
- Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- TV/Streaming: NFL Network, NFL+
- Stage: NFL London Games (Washington is the designated home team)
- Line: Colts by 3.5, total 47.5 (FanDuel opening line, per Yahoo Sports)
Travel is a Colts vs. Commanders subplot, too. The Commanders arrived in England two days before the Colts, a gap the AP described as “significant but not huge” when compared with how past London teams have handled travel.
Colts outlook
Indianapolis enters Colts vs. Commanders at 1-2, one game behind AFC South leader Jacksonville (2-1). Quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown for 611 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, according to ESPN. Running back Jonathan Taylor, who signed a contract extension in the offseason, has carried the offense with 258 yards and four touchdowns on 66 carries.
Wide receiver Josh Downs leads the Colts with 14 catches for 186 yards. The receiving group is thinner after Indianapolis placed Alec Pierce on injured reserve with a heel injury. Defensive end Micheal Clemons is also on injured reserve with a toe injury, and ESPN lists Oct. 25 as the earliest return for both.
Tight end Mo Alie-Cox (illness), linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (knee) and wide receiver Ashton Dulin (ankle) are listed as questionable. The Colts opened with losses to the Ravens and Chiefs, the second a 33-30 overtime defeat covered in Total Apex’s recap of that game.
Commanders outlook
Washington enters Colts vs. Commanders after losing its first two games to Philadelphia and Dallas and then beating Seattle. Mariota has thrown for 294 yards and four touchdowns this season, three of them in the win over the Seahawks. Washington’s defense forced three Seattle turnovers in that game, including a 50-yard Kain Medrano interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN’s box score.
Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt leads the ground game with 142 yards and a touchdown on 47 carries, and wide receiver Terry McLaurin has 10 catches for 141 yards and a score.
The Commanders’ injury report is longer than Indianapolis’. ESPN lists running back Rachaad White (shoulder), linebacker Frankie Luvu (groin), tight ends Ben Sinnott (ribs) and Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) and cornerback Amik Robertson (knee) as questionable. White did not practice Wednesday, and Quinn said he “needs more treatment and time and rehab on it,” per the AP.
Key Colts vs. Commanders matchup
If Daniels can’t go, Mariota’s connection with McLaurin against a Colts defense that has allowed 91 points, the most in the AFC South, becomes central. Washington’s takeaways against Seattle also give the Commanders a way to control field position no matter who starts at quarterback.
On the other side, Taylor’s workload against a Washington defense that has given up an NFC East-high 92 points could decide whether Jones gets to play from ahead. Establishing Taylor early would take pressure off a passing game that has already thrown three interceptions.
Players to watch
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
Taylor has rushed for 258 yards and four touchdowns on 66 carries, and the Colts’ offense runs through him.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Commanders
Mariota threw three touchdown passes in last week’s win over Seattle and is in line to start again if Daniels isn’t ready. “At the end of the day, I think if he’s healthy and he can play — he should play. This is his team,” Mariota said of Daniels, per the AP.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
McLaurin leads the Commanders with 141 receiving yards and remains Washington’s top target regardless of who is under center Sunday.
What to watch
Both teams sit one game out of first place in their divisions: Jacksonville leads the AFC South, and Philadelphia and the New York Giants are tied atop the NFC East at 2-1. The Colts vs. Commanders winner would also take a step toward the top of its division. A win would give either club consecutive victories for the first time this season.
The Daniels decision looms over everything. If he starts, it marks his return from the Week 2 elbow injury, the second elbow dislocation of his career, according to the AP. If Mariota gets the call again, Washington will lean on the formula that beat Seattle. Indianapolis, fresh off snapping its nine-game skid, will try to show that result wasn’t a one-off.
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Reporting from The Associated Press, Yahoo Sports and NFL.com contributed to this story. Statistics and injury designations: ESPN.