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Crucial Stat Shows Development of Colts' Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was impressive, leading the way in a passing metric.

Sean Ackerman

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver in the second quarter, Sunday, November 17, 2024, in East Rutherford.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver in the second quarter, Sunday, November 17, 2024, in East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Indianapolis Colts have found life late in the 2024 NFL season thanks to a new-look Anthony Richardson who led the team to a comeback win in the 4th quarter against the New York Jets on Sunday. Richardson threw for 250+ yards for the first time in his career while tallying two touchdowns on the ground for the second time in his career.

There was a notable shift in Richardson's pocket presence as he kept both feet active while glueing his eyes downfield to scan for open receivers. Sunday saw nine different pass-catchers for the Colts in a 20-completion game for Richardson.

This version of AR5 excelled in one specific category: Passing against the blitz. According to Pro Football Focus, Richardson had a 100% adjusted completion rate when blitzed against the Jets. The adjusted completion rate discounts throwaways, spikes, batted passes, and throws while being hit, so, it's not exactly the perfect statistic. Regardless, it shows Richardson is making good throws under pressure when he doesn't overthink.

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Richardson also had the furthest average Depth of Target (aDOT) when blitzed in Week 11, so his accurate throws weren't just dump-offs. Pushing the ball downfield with efficiency is something the Colts had lacked during Richardson's time on the bench, showcasing his immediate impact on the offense.

Heading into Week 12, the Colts will go toe-to-toe with the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. If Indy's gonna overcome all the odds, head coach Shane Steichen will need a wide-open playbook. Setting up Richardson for continued success against the blitz could keep the Colts in-reach of pulling off a big win.

Detroit allows only 17.7 points per game on the year, a testament to a defensive grit that head coach Dan Campbell has implemented throughout his team. The Colts will need to hit the ground running on Sunday afternoon to survive a Lions offense that has posted 52 points on two separate occasions.

Numbers aside, the Colts must keep that energy that sparked a 13-0 early lead and a two-touchdown comeback against New York.

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Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

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