Colts' Anthony Richardson Compares to Former Heisman Winner

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has numbers that compare to a former Denver Broncos quarterback.

Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) prepares to pass in the first half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Playoff chances for the Indianapolis Colts are slimming by the week, especially after losing to the Denver Broncos last Sunday.

The Colts shot themselves in the foot with five turnovers, including two fumbles that were directly responsible for a 14-point swing. Quarterback Anthony Richardson threw two interceptions in his worst performance since returning to the starting lineup.

Aside from interceptions, Richardson simply wasn't finding his man. The inaccuracy issues rose to the surface once again, a problem that has plagued his NFL tenure.

Through 10 games played, Richardson has a 47% completion rate. Only one quarterback has gone under that in one season: Tim Tebow.

Anthony Richardson has the worst Comp% in a season (47.0%) since Tim Tebow in 2011 (46.5%) https://t.co/4QLXrZnh2w pic.twitter.com/YOPqLe6kWI

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 18, 2024

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Both Tebow and Richardson are University of Florida products with the former winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007. Richardson hardly started in his college career, leading to him hitting a hard learning curve in the NFL.

While Richardson's completion percentage isn't pretty, the number doesn't tell the whole story. This year, Richardson has been affected by drops more than any other quarterback in the league. Due to drops, Richardson's expected points added per play (EPA per play) have been altered by .14 points (per Steve Patton | FTN Data).

QBs most and least impacted by drops:

1. Anthony Richardson: +0.14
2. Joe Burrow: +0.12
3. Brock Purdy: +0.12
4. Jordan Love: +0.12
5. Sam Darnold: +0.12
...
28. Lamar Jackson: +0.06
29. Will Levis: +0.05
30. Jared Goff: +0.05
31. Kyler Murray: +0.04
32. Jalen Hurts: +0.03 pic.twitter.com/UkHLEpgAAq

— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) December 18, 2024

The receiving corps, specifically the tight end room, has been a major question all year for Indy. Drops have killed the momentum, forcing the offense off the field in a hurry and leaving necessary points off the board.

If the Colts want Richardson to succeed, catching passes would be a great start. Indy's receiving corps faces off against three bottom-tier teams to close out the season, so it could build some chemistry before the season's close.

Richardson has three starts left to prove he belongs as the starter. Flashes have been shown, but consistency is needed to win games at a high level. Completing over 50% of passes would be an achievable goal for the young gunslinger to end the season.

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