The Colts and Commanders finally got into the win column Sunday.

That’s the good news.

Indianapolis needed an injured kicker to nail a 53-yard field goal after blowing a fourth-quarter lead and turning the ball over three times. Washington knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions, but they did it while getting outgained by nearly 200 yards and giving up more than twice as many first downs.

A win is still a win, especially when the alternative is boarding an international flight at 0–3. But Sunday’s matchup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium isn’t just a fun London detour.

It’s a chance to find out whether last week was a real turning point or just a temporary escape for two 1–2 teams that badly need it to mean something.

Indianapolis Is Still Looking For Last Year’s Offense

The entire Colts season is built on the idea that those first 10 games of 2025 were the real version of this team — not everything that came after.

Indianapolis was 8–2 with the NFL’s best offense before Daniel Jones played through a fractured leg, tore his Achilles, and watched the season fall apart into seven straight losses. The Colts still believed in him enough to give him a two-year deal worth up to $100 million and run the offense back.

Three games into 2026, though, that old version hasn’t really shown up.

Jones has completed 66.3% of his passes, but he’s averaging just 6.2 yards per attempt with three touchdowns, three interceptions, and five total giveaways. He lost two fumbles and threw an interception against Houston, making Indianapolis the first Colts team since 1999 to win with a turnover margin of minus-three or worse. Jones knows that’s not a recipe for winning:

Obviously, you can’t turn the ball over like that.

The offense is still supposed to run through Jonathan Taylor and play-action. Taylor's got 258 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but Indianapolis ranks just 25th in total offense. Alec Pierce, the team’s top wideout after they shipped Michael Pittman Jr. out of town, is on injured reserve with a heel injury, leaving Josh Downs, Tyler Warren, and Keenan Allen to handle most of the underneath work.

The bigger issue has been the defense. The Colts gave up 1,029 yards in their first two games and head to London ranked last in total defense, 30th against the pass, and 29th against the run.

Holding Houston to 17 points was a good start.

Doing it again would make it feel real.

Washington’s Quarterback Question Changes Everything

Washington spent the offseason trying to rebuild the offense that carried them all the way to the NFC Championship Game in Jayden Daniels’ rookie season.

After a miserable, injury-filled 5–12 season in 2025, the Commanders promoted David Blough to offensive coordinator and built a more traditional system around under-center formations and a bigger commitment to the running game. So far, it’s worked on the ground. Washington ranks eighth in rushing through three weeks.

The plan still starts with Daniels. The problem, once again, is keeping him on the field.

Daniels dislocated his left elbow against Dallas in Week 2 after injuring the same elbow twice last season. He traveled to London and was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, but Washington still hasn’t committed to playing him.

That leaves Marcus Mariota if he doesn't go.

Since replacing Daniels, Mariota’s completed 30 of 47 passes for 294 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Against Seattle, he threw three touchdown passes and used his legs to convert the game-sealing third down.

He didn’t recreate the full Daniels experience. He didn’t need to. Mariota took the throws that were there, avoided the backbreaking mistake, and let Washington’s defense keep giving him short fields.

That’s a perfectly reasonable way to win while Daniels heals. It also puts plenty of pressure on a defense that’s allowing 30.7 points a game and ranks 31st against the pass.

London Makes A Weird Week Even Weirder

This is the first game in the NFL’s three-week London run, with Eagles-Jaguars at Tottenham and Texans-Jaguars at Wembley coming next.

Both teams at least know what an international week feels like. The Colts beat Atlanta 35–21 in Berlin last season, a win that pushed them to 8–2 before everything unraveled. Washington’s trip to Madrid ended with a 16–13 loss to Miami.

They’re taking very different approaches this time.

Washington flew overnight Tuesday and started working in England on Wednesday. Indianapolis stayed home for most of the week and planned to arrive Friday morning, sticking with the shorter travel schedule they used for that Germany game.

There’s no one perfect way to handle jet lag. Just ask the Rams. At least Washington gets more time to adjust to the five-hour time difference. But Indianapolis gets to keep more of their normal routine.

Either way, a 9:30 a.m. Eastern kickoff means playing three and a half hours earlier than a typical Sunday game. West Coast fans will be watching at 6:30 in the morning.

At least Tottenham itself won’t feel like a soccer stadium hastily converted for football. It’s the only stadium outside the United States built specifically for NFL games, with its own artificial playing surface, locker rooms, and media facilities.

Washington's technically the home team, but London crowds usually turn into a mix of just about every NFL jersey ever made. This won’t feel much like Northwest Stadium.

The Turnover Battle Is The Whole Game Here

The contrast from Week 3 couldn’t be clearer.

Washington forced three turnovers and turned them into 20 points. They also didn't turn it over once. That helped cover up a game where Seattle moved the ball pretty much whenever they wanted.

The Colts committed three turnovers, couldn't force any, and still found a way to survive. Teams had been 3–41 since the start of last season when finishing minus-three or worse before the Colts escaped Houston.

That’s not a formula. That’s getting away with one.

If Jones protects the football, Indy should be able to lean on Taylor and go after a Washington pass defense giving up 280.3 yards per week. If the Commanders create short fields again, Mariota — or a less-than-100-percent Daniels — won’t have to carry the whole offense.

The winner flies home 2–2 with two straight wins and a reason to believe the season might finally be getting started. The loser comes back 1–3 knowing Week 3 could be the start of an avalanche.

Colts-Commanders kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET, exclusively on NFL Network.

All stats courtesy of Fantasy Points Data.

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