Anthony Richardson's Leadership Evident as Colts Prepare for Bears

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is doing what he can to get the team back on track.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass under pressure from Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary (52) during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The start of the 2024 season for Anthony Richardson has been a mixed bag so far.

Week 1 saw the explosiveness Richardson brings to the Indianapolis Colts offense, with three pass plays of over 50 yards in a close loss to the Houston Texans. Week 2 was the opposite, as Richardson turned the ball over three times and could never get into a rhythm against the Green Bay Packers.

Ups and downs are expected out of Richardson this season as the young quarterback continues to develop and learn. He only has six starts under his belt at the NFL level and 19 since high school. It is unrealistic to think Richardson is a finished product at this time.

However, the NFL is a results-driven league, and the Colts find themselves in a 0-2 hole to begin the year. A Week 3 matchup with the Chicago Bears will be crucial in determining whether the Colts can right the ship or if their season will start to spiral. After his performance at Lambeau Field last Sunday, Richardson is chomping at the bit to get back on the field and redeem himself.

“Every week you're eager," Richardson said. "You’re ready to play, you're ready to ball out, ready to do whatever – whatever it takes to win. It's the same mindset though, regardless of what happened last week. It’s in the past. We lost. Forget about it. You’ve just got to go out there and play and win.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) passes the ball against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While much of the focus will be on Richardson's growth on the field, the second-year pro is growing in the locker room as well. The starting quarterback is always looked at as a leader of the team, whether they are a rookie or a 10-year vet. That can be a lot of pressure, especially if you are entering an NFL locker room as a 21-year-old like Richardson did last year.

After being with the team for over a year, Richardson has already seen himself grow as a leader. He was named a team captain for the second consecutive year and has taken on a bigger voice in the locker room. The role now feels natural to Richardson.

"I feel a lot more comfortable than I did last year," Richardson remarked. "It was all new to me. I was still trying to find my place on this team, but I think I pretty much found my spot now. It's just a matter of me keeping my head, staying calm and just playing for the squad.”

With the Colts staring at a 0-2 record, the team needs a leader like Richardson at this time. Richardson is not an overly vocal leader, but his calm demeanor through the good times and bad helps to keep the team even-keeled no matter the situation. Fellow leaders like Ryan Kelly and Quenton Nelson have spoken about Richardson's ability to command the team and keep everyone calm during adversity.

There is no panic with Richardson, and when your leader does not panic during trying times, the team is likely not to panic either.

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“I guess I show the team that I'm going to still be me regardless of what happened," Richardson explained. "We have a big play, of course I'm going to celebrate. But that's in the past. We’ve got to keep it pushing. Vice versa, we have a bad play, I have to think about it and recover, but it’s still in the past. You’ve just got to make it work and just go out there and ball out regardless of what happened.”

Richardson's leadership has been noticed this week as the Colts prepare for the Bears. While the team is not panicking about their slow start, they understand that things need to turn around fast. Both sides of the ball have had a heightened sense of focus this week, realizing the need to execute at a higher level and better adjust to what the opponent is throwing at them.

For the offense, better execution includes sustaining drives and being more efficient. After numerous explosive plays through the air from the Colts against the Texans, the Packers' defense adjusted and played deep on almost every play. They would not allow Richardson to beat them deep, forcing the Colts quarterback to take what the defense gave him.

The results were not good for Indy, as Richardson made poor decisions with the football, receivers had a bad case of the drops, and the passing offense had little success. Richardson will have to expect that same strategy from opposing defenses moving forward. It is up to him and the rest of the offense to overcome it.

“I think every week is like that," Richardson stated about defenses adjusting. "We’ve seen it last week. We knew obviously they weren't going to give us any big plays and the big shots. So, we’ve just got to find a way to make it work in our game and just do our offense and just play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass under pressure from Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt (95) during the third quarter at Lambeau Field. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Bears head coach and former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is known for his "bend but don't break" defense, making offenses dink-and-dunk down the field instead of allowing big plays. The same strategy will be employed this week, forcing Richardson to be patient, make the correct reads, and deliver the ball accurately and on time to his receivers.

Luckily for Richardson, he will have one of his favorite targets back on the field this week. Josh Downs has been on the mend for six weeks with a high-ankle sprain but is expected to make his season debut on Sunday. Downs has tremendous chemistry with Richardson and should help in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field.

However, the return of Downs alone will not be enough. Michael Pittman Jr. and Adonai Mitchell also need to step up and play at a higher level after two disappointing weeks. It will take a team effort from Richardson and his full arsenal of weapons to get the offense humming again.

"Obviously you guys know he's a great piece to our offense, a great weapon to have," Richardson admitted about Downs. "Just having him back, that'd be great for us. Just get more guys involved. But regardless of who is out there, we’ve got to execute our stuff and just do what we do.”

The Colts offense knows what they are up against this week. They also know how imperative it is that they come out on top. To do that, it's going to take the word of the week.

“Just execute. We already know execution is the plan," Richardson answered. "Execution is a thought process. Nobody in this building wants to lose. We’re tired of losing honestly, so we're just trying to find a way to dig down deep and just win.”

Richardson's leadership is keeping the Colts calm, focused, and engaged on the task at hand. But it will be his execution on Sunday that ultimately determines if Indy comes out of Week 3 with a win.

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