Commanders vs. Colts GAMEDAY Preview: Backup QB Battle Brings High Stakes

The Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts are starting backup quarterbacks Sunday. But who will come out on top?

Jeremy Brener | Oct 29, 2022

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The Washington Commanders are looking for their third straight win Sunday when they face the Indianapolis Colts on the road.

Both teams are looking to get over .500 and they are looking to do so at the leadership of their backup quarterback. Commanders signal-caller Taylor Heinicke got his first start of the season last week, leading Washington to a come-from-behind 23-21 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Meanwhile, the Colts are calling upon Sam Ehlinger, a 2021 sixth-round pick, for his first NFL start. Ehlinger started four years as the quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, so inexperience may not be as much of an issue as it appears on the surface.

The Colts obviously have a ton of faith in Ehlinger to start him halfway through the season when Indianapolis has playoff aspirations. They benched Matt Ryan to start him, and the veteran quarterback still has two full years on his contract following the season.

It'll be up to the Commanders to welcome Ehlinger into the NFL regular season and they will be tasked with trying to hand him his first loss as a professional starter.

WHAT: Washington Commanders (3-4) vs. Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1)

WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (70,000)

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, 4:25 p.m. ET

TELEVISION: Fox | FuboTV (try it free)

RADIO: WMAL 105.9

BETTING via SI SportsBook

SPREAD: Colts -2.5

TOTAL: 39.5 (o -110, u -110)

MONEYLINE: Colts -150, Commanders +125

THE FINAL WORD: Ron Rivera on facing quarterback Sam Ehlinger in his first career start ...

“You’re going to get a different player,” Rivera said on facing Ehlinger. “You look at Sam Ehlinger, young guy, got a terrific arm, very headsy smart player, got a good feel for the game when you watch his preseason stuff. This is a guy who has a good sense and feel for running the RPO’s and he also has a really good feel for as a runner himself. So those are the kinds of things we are all looking at, trying to anticipate and what’s the best way to defend against that.”

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Published Oct 29, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.