Colts and Commanders open NFL's London leg in Week 4

London game opens NFL's European leg

This weekend marks the start of the NFL's European games for the 2026 season — after stops in Oceania and South America, the league plays in London for three straight weeks, beginning with Sunday's matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to NFL.com. Both franchises are among the league's oldest — Indianapolis founded in 1953, Washington in 1932 — and both played their first international games on the continent last season: the Colts won the NFL's first-ever game in Berlin, while the Commanders lost the league's first game in Spain, at Madrid's Bernabéu.

Both teams enter this game at 1-2, each having pulled off a surprising win last week against a 2025 playoff team. The Commanders are the only NFL franchise to have played at least three international games without a win (0-2-1), making Sunday a chance to end that streak.

Jonathan Taylor struggling with efficiency

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is tied for the NFL lead in rushing attempts through three games (66), but is enduring the least efficient stretch of his career — averaging under 4 yards per carry and without a 100-yard rushing game this season. Per Heavy.com and AOL.com, he managed just 68 yards on 23 carries in last week's narrow win over Houston. He faces a Washington defense that has been surprisingly stout against the run, allowing just 246 yards (third-fewest in the NFL) at 3.8 yards per carry, with the league's best run-stuff rate (25%), per NFL.com. AOL.com notes the same Commanders defense has also held Saquon Barkley and Javonte Williams in check this season. Last year in Berlin against Atlanta, Taylor set international-game records with 244 rushing yards and 286 yards from scrimmage; with 78 rushing yards this Sunday he would become the NFL's all-time leading rusher in international games.

Commanders again without Jayden Daniels

For the second straight year, Washington will play an international game without its starting quarterback. Jayden Daniels, who missed last year's Madrid game with a dislocated elbow, is out again after re-injuring the same elbow in Week 2, NFL.com reports. He has avoided surgery and has not been placed on injured reserve; head coach Dan Quinn called Daniels' return to limited practice this week a "big step." Marcus Mariota will start again after throwing three touchdowns with no interceptions in last week's upset win over the Seattle Seahawks — his best performance since 2022.

Receivers eye weak secondaries

Both defenses have exploitable weak points in the secondary. The Colts hope to feature new WR1 Josh Downs against Washington defensive backs Mike Sainristil and Jeremy Reaves, who have allowed high passer ratings when targeted, per NFL.com. The Commanders, according to Heavy.com and NFL.com, plan to attack Colts slot cornerback Justin Walley, who has allowed 213 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets in the slot. Washington's chief weapon there is veteran receiver Stefon Diggs; ESPN analyst Seth Walder, as cited by Heavy.com, predicts Diggs will post at least 85 receiving yards — well above his season high of 55. Star receiver Terry McLaurin's status remains uncertain due to a lingering hamstring issue.