Commanders Leave Sam Cosmi and Nick Cross Behind for London Clash Against Colts

The NFL's international slate is already a logistical grind, and the Washington Commanders are starting their trip across the pond down two key starters.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night that Washington guard Sam Cosmi and safety Nick Cross are not making the trip to London and have been officially ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

"Adam Schefter reported the players are not traveling with the team tonight to London."

Cosmi is dealing with a brutal-sounding concussion and throat injury combination, which sounds less like a standard football ailment and more like the result of a medieval jousting tournament. Meanwhile, Cross is staying stateside with an illness, sparing him from a nine-hour flight where he would just be coughing on his teammates at 30,000 feet.

Washington is coming off a tight 33-31 shootout win over the Seattle Seahawks, a game where the offensive line had to grind out every single yard. Losing Cosmi on the interior is a massive blow for a rushing attack that now has to face a Colts defensive front fresh off a gritty 19-17 divisional win over the Houston Texans.

From a betting perspective, losing a starting guard and a starting safety is the exact kind of unsexy roster news that quietly shifts a line. The Colts were already going to be a tough out, and now Washington has to patch together a makeshift offensive line while dealing with jet lag and a foreign time zone.

The Commanders will have to rely heavily on their depth chart to survive the international showcase. If they want to fly back to the States with a winning streak intact, whoever steps in for Cosmi better be ready to anchor the trenches on Sunday morning.