Colts' Quarterback Run Game Has Found New Life in Recent Weeks

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has become a major run threat in the past three games.

Nov 24, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) rushes the ball during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Anthony Richardson is one of the best dual-threat passers in the NFL, and the team has been leaning into his rare ability on the ground in recent weeks.

Richardson currently sits at 54 designed rushing attempts this season, with 22 of those runs coming in the three weeks since his return to the starting lineup. The Colts have leaned heavily into Richardson's rushing ability in recent games, and it has paid massive dividends for the offense.

Since returning to the starting lineup in Week 11, Richardson leads all quarterbacks in designed rushing yards, missed tackles forced, and rushing touchdowns. His six rushes of 10+ yards in that span is fifth among all rushers, including running backs.

Richardson has become a major threat in the run game in recent weeks, with the success mostly being attributed to the unique athlete he is with the ball in his hands and the diverse scheme the Colts are deploying for their young quarterback.

Q Power Read

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a touchdown pass while New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss (53) defends during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Richardson is one of the more unique athletes in the entire league. Standing at 6'3" and 244 pounds, he is built bigger and stronger than most running backs in the league. This makes him a dangerous runner between the tackles, so naturally, the Colts rely more on "Q Power Read" calls than the standard read option.

Q Power Read is similar to a read option design in the fact that the quarterback is reading a conflict defender and making a decision based on that defender's positioning. The only difference is that the quarterback on these designs is the intended ball carrier between the tackles while the running back is the option on the edge.

The Colts like to mix this design in early on in drives to set up manageable second/third and short situations. Richardson's stature and explosiveness makes these runs a near guarantee for 4-5 yards a pop on the interior of the defense.

Shane Steichen has added plenty of variety to these calls lately, even mixing in some pin/pull designs and counter runs for Richardson to exploit in the heart of the defense. The Colts have also shown to be fairly multiple with personnel groupings on these calls, utilizing both 11 and 12 personnel to get the job done.

The Colts' game-winning two-point conversion against the New England Patriots was a Q Power Read call with Quenton Nelson pulling out in front of Richardson on the interior.

Colts QB Power Read calls the past three weeks pic.twitter.com/cTKnzl8ZFv

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) December 2, 2024

Quarterback Power/Counter/Draw

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks to pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The true genius in the Colts' run design comes when Richardson doesn't have an option to hand the ball off to Jonathan Taylor on the play. But when the Colts design runs purely for Richardson the success mounts for the offense.

Steichen's offseason work studying college and high school offenses to find fun run designs has paid off handsomely, as the head coach may have the most diverse quarterback run playbook in the entire league. The list of runs the Colts utilize for Richardson just goes on and on.

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They use trap runs, they use counter, they use gap, they use draw, they use power... Richardson is essentially used as a wildcat quarterback on many of these run calls. The beauty of these designs are just how hard it is to game plan for. Anytime a defense is in a 5-6 man box, there needs to be a real fear that Richardson is going to be the ball carrier.

The Colts have simply gashed opponents in recent weeks with these run calls. The team is consistently scheming up ways to get Richardson out to the third level of the defense on run calls, and it is only a matter of time before he breaks one for a massive gain.

Colts QB Power calls the past three weeks pic.twitter.com/1kCjGkGkWF

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) December 2, 2024

Quarterback Sweep

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The best aspect of the Colts' quarterback run game is how it has provided answers for the offense in short-yardage situations. The Colts had one of the worst third-down offenses in the NFL earlier in the season, and that number has slowly crept up to around the league average in recent weeks.

The main reason for the recent climb has been the quarterback run game, in particular the Colts' usage of quarterback sweep runs when facing short yardage situations. These type of runs began showing up in the Colts' playbook just prior to Richardson's benching, and now they appear to be a massive part of the offense.

The Colts' game-winning touchdown against the New York Jets came on a sweep design. Multiple conversions against the Patriots came on similarly designed runs. The Colts are multiple with these calls and utilize window dressing quite well, but the key is getting Richardson out in space with cornerbacks forced to tackle him.

In 'gotta have it' moments, a cornerback is simply not stopping Richardson from getting a first down out in space. The Colts understand this, and that is why these sweep run calls have been unstoppable in recent weeks.

Colts QB sweep calls the past three weeks pic.twitter.com/l4vBXg6V5g

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) December 2, 2024

The Bottom Line

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Injury concerns/fears likely caused the Colts to dial back their quarterback run game a tad to start the season, and the offense suffered a bit. Richardson's unique ability as an athlete needs to be utilized for this team to find success, and the Colts' offense has been better in recent weeks with the use of his legs in the ground game.

Richardson is an outstanding rushing quarterback who'll only improve with more reps and time. With how unique and diverse this Colts' run scheme is for him, the sky is truly the limit for how far the pairing of Steichen and Richardson can go in the run game.

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