The Indianapolis Colts gave Joe Flacco a shot to prove himself once more. Facing the reality of a struggling young quarterback in Anthony Richardson, Colts head coach Shane Steichen gave the reigns of the offense to Flacco to see if he could recapture some of that veteran magic.
Remember, Flacco became the starter for the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 of the 2023 season and won four of five starts, winning the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year in the process. It was possible that Flacco's stretch with the Browns was a fluke, or perhaps he really had bottled up some of that “elite” that helped him earn Super Bowl XLVII MVP honors when he won it all with the Baltimore Ravens in February of 2013.
Either way, Steichen was right to give Flacco a chance to prove himself, but now the Colts are 0-2 in his two 2024 starts, and they need to bring Richardson back in to see if he can right the ship.
Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be Steichen's plan. When the Colts take on the New York Jets in Week 11, Flacco will be under center.
“Joe will be the starter for the Jets, yes,’’ Steichen said on Monday afternoon, according to Fox 59 in Indianapolis. “He’s had two games he would want back. You just stick with it. You grind through the process of this whole thing. It really is a process. We’re going through that process right now and right now, Joe’s still our guy.’’
That's Steichen's decision, but here's why he's wrong.
The Colts said they still believe in Anthony Richardson
Steichen says that Flacco is still the Colts' answer moving forward, but just a few weeks ago when Richardson was in the fire, he made it clear that he still believed in the former No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
“Not giving up on Anthony by any means – really not,” Steichen said after benching the 22-year old, according to the team website. “He's a young player with a ton of talent and he'll use this time to continue to develop and grow as a professional.”
The second-year head coach made it seem like he still had faith in Richardson but that Flacco gave the Colts the best chance to win at the time. Again, it was absolutely a change worth making, but the Colts are 0-2 in the last two games with Flacco as the starter and frankly, he's looked putrid.
Any amount of veteran magic he had with the Browns is seemingly used up. He completed just 16-of-27 passes against the Minnesota Vikings for just 179 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Flacco then followed that up with a 26-of-35 performance against the Buffalo Bills in which he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble.
He was sacked three times against the Vikings and four times against the Bills, making it painfully obvious that he's a 39-year-old quarterback who was a statue in the pocket when he was in his prime, let alone pushing 40.
Joe Flacco hasn't given the Colts a spark
Perhaps more disappointing than anything, though, is the fact that any spark Flacco would have brought to the Colts at the moment is now vanished. There was at least the potential that he could fuel a second-half march like he did for the Browns in 2023, but now the Colts find themselves at 4-6 and riding a three-game losing streak. There also heading into MetLife Stadium to play a disappointing but dangerous Ne York Jets team that may not have much going for it in the Aaron Rodgers-era, but the Jets do have a strong passing defense. They give up just 168.3 yards per game through the air and their 32 sacks are the third best team mark in the NFL.
The Jets don't do much well, but players like Will McDonald IV, Quinnen Williams and Haason Reddick know how to get after the quarterback, especially when that quarterback is old and immobile.
Now let's put it all in perspective. While this has absolutely been a tough stretch for the Colts, the AFC South is still within reach with the 6-4 Houston Texans banged up as all get out while coming off two demoralizing losses in a row.
The division is still up for grabs, but sticking with Flacco after it has become painfully obvious that he no longer has the “it” factor would be signaling a white flag by Steichen and the Colts' brass. On the other-hand, giving a young and athletic quarterback like Richardson a chance to at least see if he can make something happen with his feet against the Jets would be the right move.
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After all, everyone says they hadn't given up on Richardson.
“I don't think that this is over,” wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said at the time of Richardson's benching. “I think he's going to come back better from this.”
Another wideout, Josh Downs, agreed.
“He's still the number four overall pick. He's just gonna learn from this and I know he's gonna get better. Everybody saying this and that. Man, that's still my dog. Everybody still loves five,” Downs said.
Giving Richardson another shot would help the Colts in the here and now against this particular opponent, but in a strange way, it may also rejuvenate them with seven games to go. Steichen is making a big mistake going with Flacco.
