The Indianapolis Colts secured a 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with running back Jonathan Taylor rushing for 95 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Washington's injury woes deepened as backup quarterback Marcus Mariota left the game with a knee injury, forcing rookie third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis into his first professional action.
Commanders' injury crisis deepens
The Commanders were already missing starting quarterback Jayden Daniels due to an elbow injury. Mariota had started strongly before the knee injury forced him out early. Kaliakmanis, 23, delivered the play of the game with a 47-yard touchdown throw to Treylon Burks, but it was not enough to overcome the early setback.
Washington's defense, fresh from a win over the Super Bowl champions last week, initially dominated. Defensive tackle Odafe Oweh drove Bernhard Raimann into Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, forcing a fumble that led to a 31-yard field goal from Drew Stevens. Jones finished with 19 completions from 34 attempts for 143 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Taylor leads Colts to victory
Taylor compensated for Jones' struggles, scoring touchdowns either side of half-time. A 48-yard Spencer Shrader field goal put the Colts 17-6 up at the break. Kaliakmanis started the second half with an interception that set up Taylor's second score, but then connected with Burks for the 47-yard touchdown to narrow the gap to 17-13.
The rookie quarterback appeared to have levelled the scores when Antonio Williams raced 80 yards for a touchdown, but an illegal shift penalty ruled it out. In the final quarter, Taylor's two 12-yard rushes moved the Colts to the goalline, and a faked handoff allowed Jones to run in for a score.
Indianapolis improved to 2-2 with realistic playoff ambitions after a rocky start. Washington will hope Daniels returns soon to revive their season.
