EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – In the second quarter on Sunday, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson prepared to make a play just 2 yards away from the New York Jets’ end zone.
Wide receiver Ashton Dulin trotted through the moving formation and with a snap of the ball, Richardson faked a handoff to Dulin before turning the field. As soon as he left, defensive end Michael Clemons got in Richardson’s face and tried to take him down, but he was met with a fair stiff arm that left him grabbing the air in pursuit.
As Richardson turned his shoulders toward the end zone, safety Jalen Mills was the only thing blocking his first rushing touchdown since Week 1 — a small hurdle for the 245-pound quarterback.
One touchdown turned into three before the end of the day as Richardson’s return to the starting lineup resulted in a 28-27 win over the Jets and perhaps his best game as a professional quarterback.
Sitting behind Joe Flacco for two weeks might have been the reset Richardson needed, even as the Colts continued to struggle and go in circles in the two weeks he was away. Week 11 saw a calm, cool, collected version of Richardson, or as he put it, relaxed.
“It felt good,” Richardson said with a hint of relief. “Today I looked at it piece by piece. I didn’t even think about the past two weeks. I just think about where I am now. I was at MetLife Stadium today, so I’m trying to keep my mentality there.”
Richardson admitted that being on the bench was helpful, even if it wasn’t the way he wanted to start the season.
“It just let me relax a little bit, although I didn’t necessarily want to relax too much, but it just allowed me to take a step back and clear out some of the things that I need to clear out,” Richardson said. “That was really my focus when I got the opportunity again, to make sure I was at my best and that I did the right thing for the team.”
For the first time this season, Richardson finished the match with a completion percentage above 60%. On Sunday he was accurate and on time at every level of the field. He had a few fumbles, one of which was recovered by the Jets, but overall this was the cleanest Richardson has looked in a long time – as a legitimate franchise-changing quarterback.
According to TruMedia, Richardson had his highest success rate on dropbacks of the season: 46.9%, which is essentially in the tier of major to elite quarterbacks. A brief lull in his career didn’t mean a revival was impossible, and he achieved that goal in the first game of his comeback.
“I don’t know if there’s a reward for me, but I just hope my teammates see that I’m willing to do anything for them,” Richardson said. “I’m willing to put my body on the line to sacrifice everything on the field for them.
“But I definitely appreciate them for trusting me and believing in me throughout the whole process, regardless of what was going on. Shoutout to the coach, I appreciate all the support.”
Colts head coach Shane Steichen was optimistic after the game after seeing his cyborg of a quarterback play like the create-a-player they envisioned when the Colts took him with the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Steichen noted also noted that having Richardson back made the Colts’ run game more dangerous, even though star running back Jonathan Taylor had just 57 yards on 24 carries. Both of Richardson’s rushing touchdowns came within five yards of the end zone, an element they have missed in recent weeks.
“If you have a quarterback who can run, that obviously offsets the running game when you have two guys,” Steichen said. “Obviously he did a great job. That touchdown on the QB’s end, keep-around the edge, was also key.
One of Richardson’s most incredible plays that showed what makes him different was an incomplete pass that ended up out of bounds after a putaway. Richardson was deep in the backfield, a Jets defender tried to take him to the ground, but was unsuccessful. Richardson was completely in the clutches of a fellow NFL player, but continued to scan the field and drift toward the sideline until he decided to throw the ball away.
For 99% of quarterbacks, it would have been a laughable low. For someone of Richardson’s physical stature, he could survive.
“He had a few where the guy hung on him and he got away,” Steichen said. “So it’s like, ‘Throw it away.’ Oh, he’s hanging on the ball, it’s like, ‘Throw it! Throw it!’ And he pulled it off, which just shows you how much power he has.
That’s the talent the Colts are counting on to stabilize the franchise for the first time since Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement in 2018. It’s been a tumultuous ride for the Colts and Richardson in recent weeks, but it appears this trip to East Rutherford was the antidote to the symptoms that brought them to this point. Richardson was accurate, decisive and made several big plays through the air that showed his potential is truly limitless.
In Richardson’s 11th career start, he made a case for many more starts and is being steered back toward being the Colts’ long-term starter. That’s good for Richardson, the Colts and the league as a whole. When he’s at his best, there aren’t many entities in the sport that have as much horsepower.
