The Indianapolis Colts turned back to Anthony Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback in Week 11 after two games with Joe Flacco at the helm. The second-year passer delivered a narrow 28-27 victory over the New York Jets and remained under center for last Sunday’s ugly loss to the Detroit Lions.
While Richardson had a forgettable day as a passer, he did find some success on the ground, rushing 10 times for 61 yards. However, the league took issue with one of those runs, as Richardson drew a $22,511 fine for unnecessary roughness, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero on X. The Colts’ QB lowered his head on Lions’ safety Brian Branch, initiating contact with his helmet.
Generally speaking, the NFL tends to go out of its way to protect quarterbacks from taking hits. However, the league is cracking down on offensive players leading with their helmets against defenders this season. A number of running backs, including Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Zach Charbonnet have all received fines for similar infractions. Although, their penalties were more severe as each owed the league a whopping $45,020.
From the looks of it, the 6-foot, 200-pound Branch needs protection from the 6’4” 250-pound Richardson, who ran right through Branch’s tackle attempt to pick up 10 additional yards.
The NFL smacked Colts’ QB Anthony Richardson in the wallet after a helmet-to-helmet hit
The Colts were 4-4 when they made the decision to bench Richardson and turn the offense over to Flacco. The decision came after Richardson took himself out of the game against the Houston Texans in Week 8 because he was tired. While running backs and receivers will often ask for a breather after a big gain, it’s entirely unheard of for a quarterback to tap out in the middle of a drive.
However, after the team turned to the 17th-year veteran QB, Indy lost two straight and fell to 4-6. Despite the ugly record, the Colts’ season was far from over thanks to a dismal AFC South. With Richardson back under center, Indianapolis is now 5-7 and just two games behind the division-leading Texans.
Colts coach Shane Steichen hinted at additional changes following the 24-6 loss to Detroit in Week 12. But it’s unlikely the team will sit the sophomore passer again. Richardson made his own change during his benching, improving his preparation. The Colts are hoping to see the results of his maturation manifest in wins moving forward.
While Indy fights to get back to .500 on the season, the Lions are one of the best teams in football. After their Thanksgiving Day victory over the Chicago Bears, Detroit has two wins in a span of five days. Now 11-1, the Lions take a 10-game winning streak into a home matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14.
