Cam Bynum: Commanders fans traveled better than any overseas crowd he’s seen

LONDON – The Washington Commanders were declared the home team for Sunday's Week 4 contest against the Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the moment the NFL released its schedule in May. Commanders fans from both sides of the Atlantic made that abundantly clear.

In what represented a change of pace from the team's first three international regular-season games – the Colts played the Jaguars in England in 2016 and the Patriots (2023) and Falcons (2025) in Germany – Indianapolis was without question the road team from an atmosphere standpoint, backing up observations reporters had made in recent days roaming the city in the number and passion of Commanders supporters.

Whether it was due to an extra large group of locals who've grown to support the Commanders, or a sizable contingent making the hop across the pond, is unclear, but Colts players noticed the discrepancy from the moment they jogged out of the tunnel Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts vs Washington Commanders photos in NFL Week 4 action

Running out onto the field first pregame, as is tradition for a road team, the Colts were overwhelmingly booed by the crowd.

The Commanders? The roar of the crowd mixed with a formal hype video on the big-screens around the stadium as maroon and gold flares shot off into the sky. What had typically been a neutral crowd during the NFL's nearly two decades of playing regular season games on an international stage transformed Sunday into a home-field advantage for the Commanders.

"I think out of all the teams I've played overseas, (the Commanders) is the fanbase that traveled the best that I've seen," Colts safety Camryn Bynum said. "Maybe that's because they're on the east coast, and so it's a closer flight?

"But it is still six hours (away) for them, so I don't know. They did travel really well."

Bynum came to Berlin in his first season with the Colts last November for a game where the Colts were listed as the home team – the only instance the franchise has been the designated home team. In his previous stint with the Vikings, Bynum has been on the 'away' team (2022 against the Saints) and the 'home' team (2024 against the Jets) – both at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both teams had home-base bars in the heart of London this week. For what it's worth, the Commanders opted to make the trip on Tuesday and spent their entire game week – including all three practices – in the city. The Colts arrived Friday morning and went through an afternoon walk-through. Head coach Shane Steichen termed the game all week as a "business trip," and with just more than 48 hours in the town, players largely kept to the team's headquarters at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club an hour north of downtown London.

Throughout Sunday's game, the Colts were the opposition of fan chants while pro-Commanders videos and messages ran on repeat on the big screens. Though a representation of most – and maybe all – 32 NFL teams' jerseys could be seen with a quick scan of the fans in attendance, the scenery at-large was deeply maroon-colored among the more than 60,000 fans in attendance.

"I think for me, every time we play overseas, it's enjoyable because the fans are so passionate about everything. You see people wearing a bunch of different jerseys because they're just football fans, and the fans here really understand the game so well and it gets really loud when people make plays," Bynum said. "I love playing out here.

"This is a long road win, but I love it. Anytime I can play overseas, I see it as a free vacation. We just have to play our favorite sport in the world, so for me, it's all fun. Obviously, we come out here to win, but if I could play out here every week or play somewhere overseas every week, I personally would."

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter .

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