Horseshoe Huddle

Colts' Anthony Richardson Flashes Franchise QB Potential in Jets Win

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was back and better than ever in a win over the New York Jets.

Andrew Moore

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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A few hours before the Indianapolis Colts took on the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, Anthony Richardson was one of the first players on the field to warm up.

The 22-year-old quarterback was making his return to the starting lineup after a two-week benching. The Colts felt Richardson's preparation and attention to detail were not where it needed to be for a starting quarterback.

Richardson took the message to heart and got hard at work to prove he was willing to do whatever was asked of him to improve as a professional and get back on the field. Shane Steichen mentioned last week how Richardson had made great strides in these areas, and the Colts were ready to re-insert him into the starting lineup.

While most players may be nervous to get their shot again, Richardson was the opposite. Richardson was confident in his newfound approach to preparation, his attention to detail, and the work that he had done throughout the week. Ultimately, it led to the best performance of Richardson's young career.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in a white jersey.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown over the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

"I don’t want to say the most prepared or most confident, just the most relaxed I’ve been," Richardson remarked. "There wasn’t really any pressure on me. I was just out there taking it one play at a time. That’s what I kept telling my teammates: one play at a time. That was going to get us a victory and it did today."

Richardson was electric for the Colts in their 28-27 win over the Jets. He finished the day 20-of-30 (67%) for 272 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. Richardson also ran for 32 yards and had two rushing touchdowns on the afternoon.

The Colts came out with a run-heavy approach against the Jets' 30th-ranked rushing defense. Richardson was used on multiple quarterback-designed runs, getting him on the move and outside the pocket. Jonathan Taylor was also heavily involved in moving the chains and creating momentum for the offense.

The run-heavy approach to begin the game allowed Richardson to get into a rhythm. He did not have to put the team on his back or make the low-percentage deep throws early, which has been the Colts' game plan for many of the games Richardson started. Richardson focused on the play at hand, which led to the QB punching it in for his first rushing touchdown since Week 1 to give the Colts a 10-0 lead.

"Today, I was taking it one play at a time," Richardson said. "I wasn’t even thinking about the past two weeks. I’m just thinking about where I am now. I was in MetLife Stadium today, so that’s where I try to keep my mindset. I was just making it work each play and that one right there, I was just glad I was able to get into the end zone."

Richardson and the Colts were rolling early, but it did not stay that way. With a 13-0 lead, the Colts allowed the Jets to march down the field before the half to make it 13-7. On the second play after the half, the Jets recovered a fumble by Richardson as he was sacked by Javon Kinlaw. Two plays later, the Colts were trailing 14-13.

The Jets had also made adjustments on defense to stop the Colts' running game. Taylor was getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage as an offensive line with three rookie starters struggled to block the Jets' defensive line. Richardson had another fumble on an exchange to Taylor that set the Colts back as well.

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As the Jets scored another touchdown with 13:03 remaining in the fourth quarter to make it 24-16, Richardson and the Colts had to score to keep themselves in it. They would have to do so on the back of Richardson's arm.

But Richardson was ready for the moment, staying calm and focusing on one play at a time. Richardson led the Colts down the field in seven plays, capping the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Josh Downs to cut the Jets' lead to 24-22.

"I’m pretty sure you guys know that’s my guy right there," Richardson said about Downs. "That’s not only me trusting him, that’s the coaches trusting him. They have plays to get open and it’s my job to get him the ball. I know for a fact he’s going to get open no matter who’s guarding him, so shoutout to JD for making it work."

After the Jets tacked on another field goal with 2:41 remaining, it would take another touchdown to give the Colts the lead. Richardson did not flinch, finding Alec Pierce down the sideline for 39 yards, dropping the ball in the bucket as Pierce blew by Sauce Gardner. Another dot from Richardson down the seam to Downs picked up 17 more yards to get the Colts to the 10.

"Shoutout to AP (Alec Pierce) for just running and trusting me and making that happen," Richardson remarked about the final drive. "Shoutout for Josh for turning his head and getting the ball in his hands, and the o-line. Great protection all day."

Three plays later, it was time for Richardson to end it. Richardson took the ball to the left side on a quarterback sweep from four yards out, mowing over Jets' defenders in the process, to get his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon. Ballgame.

"The emotions were definitely at an all-time high," Richardson admitted. "I knew if we scored, we had already talked on the sideline, about going for two, but I was just so geeked up that we scored that I was over there celebrating so long. That’s a blessing that we had the opportunity just on that last drive."

The Colts' defense did the rest, sacking Rodgers twice on the Jets' final drive to secure the victory. The Colts moved to 5-6, keeping their playoff hopes alive. But more importantly, their young quarterback had a fantastic performance that showed improvement in multiple areas and the resiliency needed to forge a comeback victory.

While it is only one game, and he still has a long way to go, it cannot be understated how important this victory is for Richardson. The benching forced Richardson to look at himself and reevaluate his approach to the game. It allowed him to clean up some of the errors that were becoming prevalent in his game and become a better pro during the week leading up to the game.

The difference was night and day from when Richardson last took the field. While it was not perfect, there was obvious proof that Richardson's new approach is working.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver in a white jersey.
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

"It kind of just let me relax a little bit," Richardson explained. "Although I didn’t necessarily want to relax too much, but it just allowed me to take a step back and clean up some things that I have to clean up. That was really my focus, when I did get the opportunity again, making sure that I was at the best of my ability, and I was doing the right thing for the team."

"He was great. Composure was phenomenal," Steichen said about Richardson. "You know, 20 of 30, throwing the football for (272), two touchdowns, touchdown pass, he was on it today. ... I just told him (after the game) phenomenal job, man. Let's keep it going, keep preparing the right way every week, man. You keep doing what you're doing man, and it's going to be special."

The road does not get any easier for Richardson and the Colts as they take on a red-hot Detroit Lions team coming off a 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It will be a tough test for the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium next week, but Richardson is focused on what he needs to do to come out with another win.

"We’re definitely excited to get the victory, but we’re trying to stack them up, honestly," Richardson stated. "Of course we’re going to celebrate it, but we try not to focus on them too much because there’s another team coming to Indy this coming week to try and stop us and put us down. So, of course we’re all excited, but we know we’ve got more work to do."

The approach and performance of Richardson this week were a major step forward in his development, as he looked like a franchise quarterback. And if he does reach his sky-high potential, Sunday's game may be what we look back on as the turning point in Richardson's career.

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Andrew Moore
ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.

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