While Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson experiments with odd warmups, his team benefitted greatly from an embarrassingly weak effort by the Titans. But the blowout win doesn’t change the narrative that Richardson isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback for the Colts.
He’s not the long-term answer for any NFL team. And it comes down to passing. The NFL is a passing league, and Richardson has repeatedly demonstrated a glaring inefficiency in that department. Here are Richardson’s completion percentages this season: 47.4, 50, 50, 75 (four passes), 41.7, 31.3, 66.7, 39.3, 50, 44.7, and 63.6 (11 passes).
What NFL team wants to rely on a quarterback who is a tough runner but can’t pass the football? Lamar Jackson struggled with accuracy early in his career. Despite being a great runner, he never could have reached the pinnacle of success without becoming a better passer.
Can Colts QB Anthony Richardson improve his passing?
Richardson looks more like Tim Tebow right now than any other NFL quarterback. Tebow lasted three seasons in the NFL, completing only 46.5 percent of his passes as an 11-game starter for the Denver Broncos in 2011.
It simply isn’t sustainable at the quarterback position. There are too many third-and-10 situations. If a QB can’t hit that deep in, or deep crosser to keep drives alive, the team will fail.
Think about this, too. The Colts already benched Richardson this season in favor of the aging Joe Flacco. The Colts understand the problems that Richardson brings to the field.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson is improving. Steichen has to say that. His job may depend on Richardson becoming a viable NFL quarterback. It’s not like the Colts can afford to throw another first-round pick at the position.
Richardson said he’s trying to absorb things, according to colts.com.
“I don’t think it’s difficult (to refocus) honestly, because every week you’re trying to win – win that week,” Richardson said. “We’re not necessarily thinking about last week. It happened, it is what it is. We’re just trying to make sure we finish out strong this year, so if we do get an opportunity to get in the playoffs then we make sure we take care of our business.
“I feel like as a quarterback you’ve got to be able to make great decisions at all times, whether that’s handing the ball off the right way or looking at coverage the right way, checking the play. So (I) always have to make sure my decisions are on point.”
Hard work has been part of the process.
“He’s in there at 5:30, 6 o’clock in the morning consistently—on a consistent basis—which has been really good to see,” Steichen said. “Being around his guys and having that morning routine has been huge for him. The daily process of the meetings and the walkthroughs and the practice, he’s been taking it in stride and done a good job with it.”
Also, Steichen said Richardson is developing a better idea of what to do in the pocket for the Colts.
“His pocket presence, he’s had calmer feet in the pocket as he’s been going through it,” Steichen said. “That’s just repetition more than anything. He’s playing more and seeing more looks and seeing different things. That’s been good. He’s had good feet in the pocket. The one thing is he’s not throwing it to the wrong spots. His reads are good, all those different things have been good. The repetition and how to throw it, where to throw it, that part’s been good.
“Some of the stuff, if it plays out exactly how you want it to, that’s great. But I think a lot of it, like the scramble play he had on fourth down, is the knack for it. Shoot, this ain’t open and there’s a blitzer coming off the right. I’m going to scramble right and find the open receiver. That’s a natural ability that he has that’s impressive.”
Anthony Richardson performed well against Titans
In part because he didn’t have to pass much, Richardson had a nice game against the Titans. The Colts second-year man completed 7 of 11 throws for 131 yards and a touchdown. He rushed nine times for 70 yards and a score.
But a lot of his good play on Sunday can be attributed to the Titans, according to a post on X by Paul Kuharsky via clutchpoints.com.
“It’s a super disappointing performance,” Titans head coach Brian Callahan said. “Really, not at all what I thought what we’ve shown at all over the course of the year. Didn’t get off blocks. Didn’t win the line of scrimmage, then didn’t tackle in space. Then the speed of Jonathan Taylor showed up and we couldn’t get him on the ground.”
