NFL Week 4 questions, takeaways: Colts defeat the Commanders in London

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  NFL NationOct 4, 2026, 12:55 PM ET

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  NFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.

The Sunday slate for Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season kicked off in London, England, between the Colts and Commanders. After a slow start, the Colts recovered to a 30-13 victory abroad.

More games are on deck. Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for teams that played Sunday. Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Tristan Cockcroft also have fantasy takeaways from each matchup.

Let's get to it with the biggest lessons from the Sunday morning matchup.

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IND-WSH

Catch up on Thursday's game:
PIT-CLE

Indianapolis 30, Washington 13

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Colts

Can the Colts keep winning in ugly fashion? There's a lot to be said for the Colts getting back to .500 after their 0-2 start. But their two victories raise as many questions as reasons for optimism. The performance of QB Daniel Jones in each of the past two games has been concerning, to say the least. After committing three turnovers in a win over the Texans, he was responsible for two more on Sunday while the offense was often lethargic. The Colts have shown defensive improvement for the second straight week, but neither of the offenses they've played have showed much explosiveness. Still, getting back on track gives the Colts a chance to recover from their poor start.

Most surprising performance: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner continues to dominate despite recently coming back from a very delicate neck surgery. Buckner, at 32, was all over the field on Sunday, pressuring Washington's quarterback's, stuffing the run and more. His chase down of quarterback Marcus Mariota on a scramble was especially impressive, as was his consistent batting of passes at the line of scrimmage. -- Stephen Holder

Next game: at Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET p.m. ET)

Commanders

Can the Commanders recover from all these injuries? There's still 13 more games, but they continue to suffer an inordinate amount and, as the saying goes, it's getting late early for the Commanders. They played minus their top four offensive players -- tackle Laremy Tunsil, receiver Terry McLaurin, quarterback Jayden Daniels and guard Sam Cosmi. The good news for them? They're hopeful Daniels can return in Week 5, but they need McLaurin (hamstring) and Cosmi (concussion) and their returns remain uncertain. And the worst part for Washington: after facing the Giants Sunday, they play at San Francisco then host the Eagles and Rams. Injuries plus that schedule equals trouble.

What to make of the QB performance: Athan Kaliakmanis has a big arm and plays with poise, but he's also inexperienced and playing behind a patch-work line. Bad combo. He completed 15-of-33 passes for 186 yards, a touchdown and interception. With Mariota injuring the same knee that sidelined him multiple weeks in training camp, the Commanders need to consider signing a veteran to back up Jayden Daniels. However, the line needs to provide more help or it won't matter. -- John Keim

Next game: at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET p.m. ET)

Fantasy football takeaway: With Mariota (knee) and Daniels (elbow dislocation) both injured, the Commanders' offense is in a precarious spot. Kaliakmanis had his moments -- he was 2-for-6 for 95 yards and a touchdown on deep throws -- but he's a raw prospect. If he has to start in Week 5, downgrade the rest of the Commanders skill position players across the board. -- Cockcroft