The Indianapolis Colts finally got one in the win column. Shane Steichen's team survived a hard-fought comeback win over the Houston Texans to avoid a catastrophic start to the campaign and finally end a losing streak that dated back to last season.
Now, they're staring at the perfect opportunity to keep the ball rolling, facing a Washington Commanders team that can't stop the pass and won't have starting quarterback Jayden Daniels on the field.
However, as their record shows, the Colts still have plenty of things to clean up to get back on track. Considering that, let's take a look at the four main issues they'll have to address to return from London with a win.
4 major questions the Indianapolis Colts must answer ahead of Week 4
Can they contain Marcus Mariota?
Thus far, the Colts have done a decent job against mobile quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson did get them a couple of times, but holding him to 40 rushing yards is a win, all things considered. Then, they limited Patrick Mahomes to just two scrambles for 17 yards.
Marcus Mariota is no longer the speedster he once was, but he'll always be a dual-threat guy. He'll escape the pocket at the first sign of pressure, and while that can lead to some disastrous decisions, it can also get him some first downs, so the linebackers must stay on their toes to prevent big gains.
How to get Tyler Warren going?
Tyler Warren was the talk of the hour through Colts' training camp, but that hasn't shown on the field thus far. They're about to face one of the worst pass defenses in the game, so why not feed their contested-catch specialist?
The Commanders' shaky defense doesn't have anyone who can stick with Warren in coverage, especially not in the final third of the field. This is the perfect setting to finally get him going and start his breakout season.
Will Daniel Jones make good decisions?
Daniel Jones has been a bit of a mixed bag thus far, and as usual, his best version is very, very good, but his worst version is comically bad. We saw a bit of both in the win over the Houston Texans, and the Colts might not be able to get away with that in London.
The Commanders have one of the best run defenses in the game, so Steichen must roll with his quarterback to get the job done in this one. That can go extremely well or terribly, depending on which version of Jones we get.
Do they have an answer for Stefon Diggs?
The Colts' outside cornerback tandem is pretty solid, but Justin Walley struggled mightily in the first couple of weeks. He'll go against a crafty guy like Stefon Diggs, who can still be pretty dangerous on short and intermediate routes and coming out of the slot.
While not a burner, Diggs is a proven veteran who knows every trick in the book, and he can run circles around the Colts' youngster. With Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward staying close to Terry McLaurin, the Commanders might have to lean on Diggs more often.
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