Dan Quinn met with media in London ahead of the Washington Commanders’ Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, and the biggest question coming out of it isn’t whether Jayden Daniels can play on Sunday. It’s whether he should.

Quinn confirmed that Daniels traveled with the team but will be limited in practice this week. He did not rule Washington’s franchise quarterback out, stating that Marcus Mariota is the current starter while the staff monitors Daniels through the week, with a decision likely coming Friday. Clips are surfacing on social media of Daniels taking snaps & getting footwork reps with a brace on his left arm, the injured non-throwing arm.

So the possibility is there. Two weeks removed from a dislocated elbow, Daniels could suit up Sunday. That’s a big call. But it’s not the right one.

Mariota showed enough against Seattle

What Mariota showed against the Seahawks was gutsy, great, & everything you’ve ever wanted from Marcus Mariota. It was one of his best NFL games ever. Do you expect him to maintain that level of brilliance? No, of course not, or else he’d be a starter in this league. He’s a backup quarterback, a journeyman who knows how to operate an offense when needed. With enough film on Mariota season to season, you can see his gradual decline.

But we’re still early in the process. Washington doesn’t need peak Mariota to win this game. It needs competent Mariota. And the opponent is making that a very low bar.

The Colts are giving up everything

Indianapolis has started poorly. The Colts don’t do anything redeeming on either side of the ball. They are a much worse team than Seattle & the worst team the Commanders have played all season.

The numbers are staggering:

• The Colts are giving up 30.3 points per game, 29th in the league
• They are surrendering 417 yards per game, dead last
• Opponents are getting 6.5 yards per play against Indianapolis, worst in the league
• Teams are running for 4.9 yards per carry against the Colts, 29th in the league
• They’re giving up 141.3 rush yards per game (29th) & 276 pass yards per game (30th)

Mariota just beat the league’s best defense. Do I think he could put up 300-plus yards against a defense surrendering an average of 417 per game? Yes. He had a good day passing in the rain against Seattle. I wonder how he’d do with a clean track against this god-awful defense.

This could be a big day for the running back room. This could be a big day for Mariota on the ground. And it’s not just one faulty area for Indianapolis. Run defense, pass defense, yards per play: pick your poison. The Colts are in the bottom three in all categories.

The Colts offense isn’t saving them either

Even if Mariota is not what he was last week, say he’s shaky, doesn’t like the food over there, or the climate is weird for him, whatever. Indianapolis’ offense is still bad too. The Colts are 25th in pass yards per game & only 15th in rush yards per game. They carry a -1.7 turnover margin.

The only redeeming quality about the Colts? They are not getting penalized. They lead the league in fewest penalties per game at five. That’s it. That and their kicker make his kicks, because they can’t get in the end zone and can’t generate enough yards to threaten with Jonathan Taylor in the red zone.

You go through the roster, and you’re circling maybe three dudes: Josh Downs, Jonathan Taylor, & Tyler Warren. The Seahawks had 12 players you had to circle. Your coach is in the film room, yelling at you to buckle up and draw circles all over the board. Against the Colts, you’re circling three.

The smart play is patience

I’m thrilled Daniels traveled with the team. I’m thrilled he’s limited & not ruled out, and that the decision will come Friday. But I’m in no rush to get him back out there. The risk assessment is simple: playing a bad Colts team versus throwing Jayden out if he’s just a bit too early. I say run it with Mariota.

The smart play is to tell Daniels to stay with the team, be a good presence, get some reps, see how the arm feels. If Washington needs him, they’ll call him in. If it gets drastic, maybe they make that call. But right now, this Commanders team is in a good enough spot to tread water, get a win, and roll into the next couple of weeks before the bye to decide when Daniels comes back.

There is no reason to rush the franchise back for this.