6 Instant Observations on Colts' Win Over Commanders: Has Indy's Outlook Changed?

The Indianapolis Colts won a decisive matchup against the Washington Commanders in Week 4, a 30-13 victory in London that makes them undefeated (3-0) under head coach Shane Steichen in international matchups.

The Colts are now 2-2 on the season after getting out to a 0-2 start, and have the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans on the horizon.

So, what did we see during Indianapolis' Week 4 victory? We break it down below.

Has Daniel Jones Returned to (Giants) Form?

Daniel Jones has looked pretty good for someone who tore their Achilles late in the previous season, at least physically. There are some limitations that have lingered as a result, specifically as a rushing threat, but Jones has shown enough that suggests he's recovered enough to get the job done.

But through four weeks, Jones's performance implies the opposite. He's seemingly returned to form, not his early-season form from a year ago that had the Colts' offense humming at a historic rate, but his early-career form from when he was quarterbacking the New York Giants.

Below is Daniel Jones's statline from the Colts' 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders:

19-34 (55.9%) for 143 passing yards, 1 interception, sacked twice, 1 rushing TD, 1 fumble lost

Daniel Jones had arguably his worst single-game showing as the Colts' starting quarterback. He was regularly seen floating in the pocket and panicking at the first flash of breakdown in pass protection.

Jones has produced just four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) compared to his seven turnovers (four interceptions, three fumbles lost) through the first month of regular season play.

To be fair to Jones, he's been lacking a respectable wide receiver core and his vaunted offensive line has been in the bottom-five of pressure allowed to start the season, but he himself needs to drastically rebound if the Colts want to have any chance of contending come postseason play.

DeForest Buckner Remains Driving Force of Defense

The Colts' top defensive player of the 2020s has no doubt returned to his All-Pro form.

DeForest Buckner entered the season with low expectations, given that he was 32-year-old defensive lineman returning from a scary neck injury, but he's looked like one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL through four weeks.

Buckner had four tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass broken up, and three QB hits against the Washington Commanders in Week 4. The Colts' longtime defensive tackle was a true game-wrecker despite not logging a sack, and has been the main reason Lou Anarumo's defense has found any success so far this season.

Jonathan Taylor is Still Indy's MVP

Jonathan Taylor is currently on a 10-game streak without 100 rushing yards, the longest of his career, but he's still proven to be the Colts' best offensive weapon.

Taylor had 95 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries (4.8 ypc) against the Commanders in Week 4.

The Colts offense looked incapable of putting together a scoring drive for the majority of the first half, but turning to Jonathan Taylor quickly reminded them that their best offensive weapon deserved more touches.

Taylor's aforementioned streak of 10 straight games without 100 yards rushing can largely be attributed to the Colts not having a quarterback who you can honor in the run game, with this season's version of Daniel Jones playing a part. Jones did rush for a touchdown in London, but a more consistent rushing threat from the quarterback position, coupled with an honorable deep passing attack, would open up the box for Taylor to benefit from.

While the Colts aim to address both of those limitations, leaning on Taylor to turn into Superman is honestly their best option moving forward - even if it's not as much of an advantage that a more balanced offensive attack would provide.

Pass Protection Continues to Look Suspect

Daniel Jones needs to play better, but his offensive line needs to help him out.

The Colts' well-regarded offensive line has continued to be one of the best run-blocking units in the NFL, but their pass protection has dropped off from a season ago. They posted the 4th-worst pressure rate allowed by an offensive line entering Week 4's slate, and there was little-to-no improvement against the Commanders.

Left tackle Bernhard Raimann left the game with an apparent lower leg injury, but he did stay active on the sidelines with some pass-pro reps. Luke Tenuta filled the void while Raimann sat out.

Regardless if Raimann returns as early as next week, Colts' OL Coach Tony Sparano Jr. has a lot of work to do as far as pass protection goes.

Sauce Gardner's Value In Question

The Colts famously traded away multiple first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner at the 2025 trade deadline. He's largely been the lockdown CB1 they envisioned when trading the farm for him, but today's matchup against the injury-riddled Washington Commanders gave us one of Gardner's worst single-game showings in his career thus far.

Sauce Gardner allowed four receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown on five targets in coverage against the Commanders in Week 4, the most yards allowed in a game by Gardner in his career, according to Next Gen Stats.

A one-off performance shouldn't be the end-all-be-all when determining whether a trade was worth it, but it does warrant questioning. The most concerning aspect of this showing in question was that Gardner was facing the Commanders' QB3, a seventh-round rookie taking his first professional snaps, and did not have to matchup against their WR1 Terry McLaurin.

It's fair to assume that Gardner won't play this poorly again, but it was a concerning showing nonetheless.

Colts Ceiling Slowly But Surely Revealing Itself

Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen looks on from the sideline during the third quarter of their game against the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts evened up their season record with a win, but was it enough to feel confident that they've found a groove? Not necessarily.

At this point, the Indianapolis Colts feel destined for their typical outcome under general manager Chris Ballard: an 8-9 or 9-8 finish.

Through four weeks, the 2026 Colts look very similar to any of their 2021-25 squads that produced mediocre results. There's simply no reason to believe that they'll start to put it together against true championship contenders with so many glaring holes. Perhaps the Colts have a trick up their sleeve and are waiting to reveal it when need be, but as of now, deja vu is strong with this team - and that's not a good thing.

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