The Indianapolis Colts fell awfully against the Denver Broncos and watched their playoff hopes vanish at Mile High. While the fallout has been as expected regarding names like general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, quarterback Anthony Richardson's 2024 is a question mark.
However, Richardson's task is simple: play the best football possible to instill confidence in the franchise that he can be the answer. It also must be noted that Indy's schedule to conclude 2024 is arguably the easiest, with the Tennessee Titans (3-11), New York Giants (2-12), and Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11).
With this slate of games on the mind, it's time to dive briefly into what might happen if Richardson plays well, versus if he collapses in this stretch. Let's rip off the band-aid with the bad.
If Richardson Plays Poorly
To add context to what 'poorly' means, let's refer to his performance against the Broncos. Richardson had 17/38 passing (44.7%) for 172 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. While Richardson piled on 46 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground, his overall showing was bad.
If Richardson plays this badly to finish the season AND the Colts finish 6-11 or 7-10, great shifts might happen in the front office and the coaching staff. Also tossing in the fact of how easy this three-game slate is, Richardson must capitalize or risk possible horrible consequences.
While Richardson had no supporting cast against the Detroit Lions, he still played well. However, Richardson has shown stability as a field general only against the New York Jets and New England Patriots. We'll see how he responds to such a brutal loss that killed playoff chances, as his career might depend on it.
If Richardson Plays Well
When referring to 'plays well,' look no further than the victory over the Jets in Week 12. While the Jets aren't good, they had a great pass defense led by defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner, yet Richardson had his best game as a passer. He'd conclude 20/30 (66.7%) for one touchdown and no interceptions.
The Titans (seventh - 190.6 yards per game), Giants (third - 185.1 yards per game), and Jaguars (11th - 204.4 yards per game) aren't slouch defenses against the pass and will fight to finish the 2024 season. This presents an opportunity for Richardson to rise to the occasion and rip off three straight victories to conclude the year.
As his sophomore campaign concludes, Richardson has all the talent to make good things happen. While it appears there isn't much to play for after the Denver defeat, it isn't the case for Indianapolis and especially Richardson. We'll see if his best is ahead to finish 2024's regular season.
Bottom Line
It's likely that Richardson and Steichen, at the least have another year or two ahead. However, given how awful the squad looked against the Broncos in Week 15, Richardson can't afford to have a massive pitfall in these last three clashes; drama might ensue, and jobs could be on the line.
Watch for Steichen to do everything possible to get a win against the Titans at home in Week 16. As for Richardson, he must take better care of the football and be more accurate than under 45%. We'll see how things go in a contest that has more implications than the surface indicates.
