The 3-3-1 Indianapolis Colts returned to Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday to host the 3-4 Washington Commanders. The Colts came into the game leading the matchup all time 21-12-1, and had also won the last 4 matchups dating back to 2002. Indianapolis was favored by 3 to win the game. 

The Commanders won this one 17-16. Both offenses came out quiet, something the Colts are accustomed to doing, as they traded punts for the entire first quarter. Indianapolis finally managed to open the second quarter with a score, kicking a 46-yard field goal, but the Commanders responded with a touchdown drive primarily fueled by a short pass to Terry McLaurin that went for 42 yards. After a few more punts, Sam Ehlinger, who made his first career start, channeled his inner Matt Ryan and was strip-sacked. Washington wasn’t able to get a real drive going, and effectively ended the first half. 

The Commanders opened up the second half by getting the ball to midfield, but failed to convert a 4th and 1. The Colts were able to answer with a short field goal, and then had an opportunity to take the lead but suffered a fumble from Jonathan Taylor. The defense held up, and they were able to take a 9-7 lead with a 20-yard field goal. After a quick Heinicke interception, the Colts, after moving 30 yards on a defensive pass interference call, punched it in with Nyheim Hines to extend their lead. The Commanders dug into the lead after an 82-yard drive with a field goal, and after a Colts 3-and-out, drove down the field helped by a 33-yard catch by McLaurin to get them to the Indianapolis 1-yard line. Trying to mount a field goal drive with 22 seconds left, Ehlinger hit Michael Pittman, Jr. in stride near midfield, but an unfortunate drop effectively ended the game. 

Sam Ehlinger, who made his Colts debut today, threw a lot of short passes, but didn’t make many mistakes. He went 17/23 for 201 yards. Jonathan Taylor didn’t have a huge workload, getting 16 carries for 76 yards. Alec Pierce was the leading receiver in yardage, catching 3 passes for 65 yards. Taylor Heinicke’s day was helped by a late push, and he threw 23/31 for 279 yards. He was also the leading rusher for the Commanders with 29 yards. Terry McLaurin caught 6 balls for 113 yards. 

Final: WAS 17-16 IND

Analysis

This game surprisingly had a lot of bright spots, considering that it was a loss to a lower-tier team in the NFL. The defense had a pretty strong game, especially the front seven. The interception by Shaq Leonard, even while not playing many snaps, proved that this defense definitely missed him and will be thrilled to have his presence in the middle of the action. Sam Ehlinger showed us that he could at the very least manage games, and showed flashes of the guy that Colts fans hope he can be. Despite the bright spots, the offense wasn’t great and this game should undoubtedly have been winnable. 

Around the Division

The Jaguars kicked Sunday off in the morning from Wembley Stadium in London, where they fell to the Broncos 21-17. The Titans and Texans played each other in a divisional matchup, where the Titans won a close 17-10 game. The order of the AFC South standings didn’t change much, but the Titans increased their already steady division lead, improving to 5-2 while the Colts lag behind in second at 3-4-1. The Jaguars and Texans still bring up the rear at 2-6 and 1-5-1. 

Looking Ahead

The Colts will face an interesting test next Sunday when they travel to Foxborough to play against the Patriots. New England will be coming off a 22-17 win over the Jets, and open the week as 6-point favorites. A Colts win would go a long way toward bringing them back into the division race, as the Titans play in Kansas City on Sunday Night Football as likely underdogs.

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