Week 8 key numbers: Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin help Commanders stun Colts

The Bad: Commanders offenses disappeared and defense continued giving up big plays

10: Washington gave the Colts a short field when it turned it over on downs on Brian Robinson’s failed 4th-and-1 run. They did it again on Heinicke’s ill-advised interception into triple coverage. The Colts were able to take advantage both times and added 10 points to their point total.

0: The Colts came into the game giving up the most points off of turnovers. Washington forced two fumbles and came away with a grand total of 0 points. On the two drives following turnovers, Washington was only able to manage 9 plays for 12 yards.

3: Washington had more punts than successful third-down conversions. The team only had three drives with more than 30 yards of offense. For the winning streak to continue, that will definitely need to change.

16.6: Washington only converted on 16.6% of its third-down attempts, going 2-for-12. The worse part is that 5 of those 12 attempts were 3rd-and-10 or more.

2.65: Washington’s running backs combined for just 45 rushing yards, averaging a horrendous 2.65 yards per carry. For the season, the trio is averaging only 3.65 yards per carry.

6: Washington’s defense continues to strive off its bend but don’t break mentality. It worked well in today’s game with turnovers and a little bit of luck keeping the Colts from adding to their point total. However, Washington needs to cut down on the number of big plays it gives up. Against the Colts, the Commanders’ defense gave up 6 big plays (10+ yard rushes, 20+ yard passes) with 2 big rushes, 3 passes, and a 30-yard pass interference call.

8: While not necessarily a bad thing, Washington has won its last three games by a combined 8 points. Yes, they are now 4-4, but if a few plays went sideways, the results could have been completely different. The team still has a lot of areas to clean up before it can be seen as a contender.

With Washington returning home to FedEx Field next week, the team has an opportunity to show it made the right call to let Kirk Cousins go if it can get the W and keep its win streak going. One thing is for sure, and that is the Taylor Heinicke roller coaster experience continues. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.