Commanders winners and losers from Colts loss show who stepped up without Jayden Daniels and who disappeared
Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis was skewed by circumstance from the first quarter on, so the performances that cut through it deserve a closer look.
The Washington Commanders lost to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday with a third-string rookie quarterback finishing the game, and that context hangs over every grade below as we discuss the winners and losers from said matchup.
Jayden Daniels was already out. Marcus Mariota ripped off a 35-yard read option in the first quarter and then went down shortly afterward. Early indications point to an MCL injury for Mariota and from there, it was Athan Kaliakmanis’ offense.
Indianapolis is about as average as an NFL team gets, maybe a tick below. A QB3-led offense against an average opponent skews a lot of the evidence. Some of it can’t be skewed, though.
With that being said, here are the Commanders’ winners and losers from the Colts game.
Winners
Cornerback Amik Robertson
This is as much a four-week body-of-work award as a Sunday one. Washington’s defensive backfield looks nothing like anyone pictured back in July, yet it’s holding up. No Colts pass catcher had a big day against the Commanders, and Robertson is a big reason why. His physicality, how quickly he breaks on the ball, and his recovery speed all showed up again.
Robertson is not a top-15 corner in the NFL, yet he plays like he’s the best one in the league. That attitude lifts the rest of the defense with him, and it makes him one of the most important additions on the roster. He’s a winner, even in a loss.
Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis
Kaliakmanis completed 15-of-33 passes for 186 yards, one touchdown pass, and one interception while taking one sack. Not pretty, but at the same time, it was a very “workable” preformance.
The game plan for Mariota mirrors the one for Daniels because both lean on mobility. Kaliakmanis doesn’t have that trait set, so he had to operate differently.
In this case, differently meant taking shots, and I loved it.
Kaliakmanis is the only QB this season to have 6+ pass attempts of 30+ yards in a game. He hit Dyami Brown on a nice deep ball and Treylon Burks on another. His ability to move the ball 10 yards downfield in a hurry is real.
Compare that to the alternative: If Sam Hartman comes in, that’s a guaranteed loss. I don’t think Washington gets a touchdown on the board after Mariota goes down. Kaliakmanis can sling it, and he looks like a capable NFL backup who could push a starter.
Wide receiver Treylon Burks
He’s getting open deep and scoring touchdowns. If I can count on a Burks deep touchdown once every two weeks, that’s a great season, and it’s trending that way.
Before Stefon Diggs arrived, the receiver room looked concerning and the question was who would actually take a jump. Burks is the guy separating himself. Even if he’s strictly a deep threat, Washington has needed one.
Losers
The running back room
The Colts entered the game allowing 140-plus rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Look at what Washington did with that:
- Austin Ekeler, freshly signed: four carries, 29 yards
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt: nine carries, 15 yards
- Craig Reynolds: two carries, four yards
- Kaytron Allen: three carries, one yard
One of Reynolds’ carries came on fourth-and-1 that happened to be a terrible call attached to a terrible decision. The leading rusher was Mariota, and nobody topped his 35 yards over the remaining three quarters against a mediocre run defense.
The Commanders finished with 100 yards on the dot on 22 carries.
Croskey-Merritt has to show traits that justify him as RB1. He looked good against Philadelphia, OK at times against Dallas, and not good against Indy.
Rachaad White didn’t play. Is he the glue guy? When the starting quarterback is out, a committee backfield has to shoulder the load. Everyone getting about 20 yards with no impact can’t last all season.
Tight end Chig Okonkwo
Maybe Washington slow-rolled him back from injury. Still, Okonkwo was supposed to be a big offseason add, an athletic tight end who converts first downs, creates yards after the catch, and gives the offense a different dynamic. He finished with two catches for five yards on four targets.
Is that harsh with a QB3 throwing to him? Maybe a little. But with Terry McLaurin out, someone needed to be the X-factor. Diggs has become a slant king who gets six or seven yards a catch, which is fine. Antonio Williams offers something similar and had a touchdown called back.
Okonkwo has to be more than that. If he was billed too high, we’ll reassess.
Offensive discipline
The o-line has committed seven pre-snap penalties on offense over the last two games, which is atrocious. Yes, the cadence and operation change with a third-string quarterback matters.
But at the same time, these penalties are drive killers that leave the door open for a team like the Colts to steal a win.
The players commit them. Regardless, that falls on Commanders coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator David Blough. Cleaning it up is not too much to ask.
Now Washington waits on Daniels news before the Giants come to town. It’s safe to say fingers are crossed in hopes of a win.
