Instant analysis of Commanders’ Week 4 loss vs Indianapolis Colts

· Yahoo Sports

The Washington Commanders lost to the Indianapolis Colts 30-13 in their fourth game of the season, falling to 1-3 on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

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Washington got on the board first with a field goal off Odafe Oweh’s strip sack of Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, then added another field goal later in the first quarter. However, the Commanders did not score much after quarterback Marcus Mariota went down with a knee injury and seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis finished the game.

Indianapolis scored its first touchdown near the end of the first half and added a field goal as time expired in the second quarter to take a 10-6 lead into halftime. The Colts would score again on their opening drive of the second half, set up by Kaliakmanis’ interception, to make it 17-6. Kaliakmanis responded with his first career touchdown pass to Treylon Burks to make it 17-13.

However, the Commanders' offense went cold and allowed the Colts to put up 13 unanswered points, including two field goals and a touchdown run from Jones, to win 30-13. Kaliakmanis finished with 15 completions on 33 passing attempts for 186 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Mariota led Washington in rushing, while Dyami Brown led the team in receiving with 65 yards. Stefon Diggs had the most targets with nine, while rookie Antonio Williams was targeted eight times.

Instant analysis of the Commanders’ third loss of the season against the Colts:

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Play of the Game

Burks is still trying to prove he can be a reliable receiver in the NFL. After only two receptions in the first three games, Burks scored the Commanders' only touchdown and Kaliakmanis's first passing touchdown. It's the second straight week that Burks has caught a touchdown pass.

Numbers to know

  • 317: The Washington Commanders had 317 total yards in this game compared to the Colts, who had 257 yards.  This is the second game this season Washington has lost while outgaining its opponent, after being outgained by Seattle in its lone win of the season.  Especially given Washington’s early opportunities with their turnovers, this is a game they easily could have won.
  • 10: Washington finished this game with a total of 10 penalties, their most in any game this season. They had two penalties, although only one was accepted, on an 87-yard touchdown from Kaliakmanis to Williams, which nullified the touchdown. The Commanders really need to stop getting in their own way.
  • 2/15: The Commanders were two-for-15 on third-down attempts. It is hard to win a lot of games when you cannot sustain drives by picking up third downs, especially since they also had only one fourth-down conversion. This will be another point of emphasis as Washington prepares for their next game against the Giants.

Game balls

  • OLB Odafe Oweh: Oweh had Washington’s first takeaway of the game on a strip sack. It allowed the Commanders to get their first points on the board, even though they couldn’t turn it into a touchdown. At that point, Washington had the momentum because of Oweh’s strip sack and the subsequent fumble recovery.
  • CB Amik Robertson: He was assessed a penalty when the Colts would have otherwise been forced to kick a field goal. While the penalty was highly questionable, Robertson’s performance in this game was not. He had a good game overall, defended a pass, and led the team with nine tackles, including seven solo tackles.
  • P Tress Way: Punter Tress Way was asked a lot in this game. He punted five times. His longest punt was 49 yards, and three of his punts were inside the 20-yard line. Special teams deserve more appreciation, and Way had a solid game for the Commanders.

What’s next

The Washington Commanders will look to get their first division win of the season against the New York Giants next Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. They also must evaluate their quarterback position with Marcus Mariota most likely out and Jayden Daniels’ availability in question. The Commanders may decide to add to their quarterback room if Kaliakmanis is the only healthy quarterback on the roster.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Instant analysis of Commanders’ Week 4 loss vs Indianapolis Colts

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