The Commanders Vs Colts matchup in Week 4 brings two 1-2 teams to London on Sunday, and both arrive with something to prove after surprising wins over 2025 playoff teams last week. It is also the first stop on the NFL's 2026 world tour European leg, which adds another layer to a game that already carries some clear context for both sides.
For Indianapolis, the biggest storyline is Jonathan Taylor, who enters the London game with 66 rushing attempts and is chasing the all-time international rushing record. He has also had an uneven start by his standards, with fewer than 4 rushing yards per attempt and no 100-yard rushing game this season. In Week 3, Taylor ran for 68 yards and no touchdown against Houston, which followed a 78-yard outing in Week 2. The Colts will need more efficient production from him if they want to leave London at 2-2.
What Taylor has done so far
There is still a strong workload here, which matters. Taylor has 66 rushing attempts, and he has already shown he can still break longer plays, including five runs of 10-plus yards this season. But the bigger number is the efficiency concern. The Colts have not yet gotten the kind of steady, chain-moving ground game they would like from their lead back, and that makes this trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London a useful test of where the run game really stands.
That also helps explain why this game feels important beyond the standings. Indianapolis is dealing with health issues for Alec Pierce, Keenan Allen and Ashton Dulin, so the offense may need Taylor to carry more of the load again. If the passing game is limited, the Colts can lean on him to set the tone early and take pressure off the rest of the offense.
Washington's challenge abroad
Washington has its own storyline. Jayden Daniels was ruled out Friday for the second straight game after dislocating his left elbow in Week 2, leaving the Commanders to manage another game without their starting quarterback. The team is also trying to end a four-game international winless streak, which gives this trip to London a little more urgency.
That history is notable because Washington was founded in 1932, while Indianapolis dates back to 1953, and both franchises have now been part of the league's expanding international footprint. Last season, the Colts played and won the NFL's first-ever game played in Berlin, while the Commanders participated in and lost the league's first game in Spain at Madrid's Bernabéu. This Sunday's London meeting fits into that larger pattern, with the NFL continuing to build out its international schedule.
In practical terms, though, the focus stays on the present. Both teams are 1-2. Both just picked up needed wins. And both have a chance to turn one good result into something more meaningful before the season starts to separate contenders from teams still searching for consistency.
