The Commanders and Colts both go into Sunday’s game in London with a 1-2 record, with Washington coming off its upset victory over the Seahawks and the Colts edging out the Texans.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Kickoff: 9:30 a.m. ET at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: NFL Network
Trending
Betting Lines
Lines from DraftKings, as of Friday.
Spread: Commanders +3.5
Money line: Commanders +160, Seahawks -192
Over/under: 47.5 points
Pregame Reading
Jayden Daniels traveled to London with the Commanders, leaving open the possibility in the middle part of the week that he could return just two weeks after dislocating his left elbow against the Cowboys, but the team ruled him out on Friday.
The Washington Sun’s Martenzie Johnson, who also made the trip across the pond, wrote about the team’s travel plans, which centered on achieving as much normalcy for the players as possible. Still, the 3,000-mile transatlantic flight and five-hour time difference can be a challenge even for professional football players to manage.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota was very effective in leading the Commanders to an upset win over the Seahawks on Sunday. Here’s how offensive coordinator David Blough played to Mariota’s strengths.
Leo Chenal was one of the Commanders’ key free agent signings this offseason as they aimed to retool their defense. He is out for the rest of the season after suffering a scary neck injury in Sunday’s game.
The Commanders re-signed a familiar face this week, bringing back Austin Ekeler, who is one of the NFL’s better all-purpose running backs.
About the Colts
Colts defensive end DeForest Buckner contemplated retirement last season after a neck injury ended his season. But he’s back, and with three sacks in as many games, he looks like the player he was before the injury.
The Colts will be without wide receiver Alec Pierce, who went on injured reserve with a heel injury this week, leaving them without one of their best deep threats.
One Big Question
Will Austin Ekeler play?
Ekeler is one of four running backs on the Commanders’ roster and is in London with the team after being signed Monday. Coach Dan Quinn told reporters on Wednesday that Rachaad White is battling a shoulder injury, and his status for Sunday is unknown. The Commanders have struggled to get their run game going through three games, and Ekeler’s ability to affect games as a runner and a pass-catcher could give Quinn reason to play him.
But Ekeler last played for the Commanders a year ago, before a torn Achilles ended his season after two games, and that was under coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, not Blough’s.
“It’s like drinking through a fire hose trying to get everything going,” Ekeler told reporters Wednesday. “These guys have been going at it for months, and now I am here. I have been at it for two days. … I know the concepts, but it’s learning the terminology.”
Quote of the Week
“We won’t put him out there before he’s ready,” Quinn said of Daniels on Wednesday.
The fact that the team is being cautious with Daniels’ return makes sense given that Quinn has been criticized before for his handling of his quarterback’s health. But in his press availability this week, Daniels appeared hopeful he can be back on the field sooner than later.
Author
