Anthony Richardson Focused on Details, Decision Making vs. Titans

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is preparing for a bounce-back performance against the Tennessee Titans.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Anthony Richardson had an idea about what caused the lack of execution by his Indianapolis Colts offense against the Denver Broncos last week. Still, he went to the film earlier this week to get another look.

What Richardson saw confirmed what he had already thought.

“Honestly, just details," Richardson said when asked what caused the Colts' struggles. "We were talking about that on the sideline, talking about that at halftime, talking about that throughout the whole time of the game – focusing on the details and not making sure that we beat ourselves. We didn’t get the outcome we wanted because of the details."

Attention to detail and beating themselves have been a problem for the Colts all season long. Indy is 14 games into the season, and Shane Steichen's squad has yet to play a complete game. The matchup with the Broncos was no exception, as the defense held Denver to under 200 yards of total offense, but the offense turned the ball over five times.

For his part, Richardson has focused on improving his attention to detail since the wake-up call that was his benching before Week 9. His preparation was called into question, and the quarterback has stepped up in a big way. Richardson meets with Steichen every Monday to comb through the film, soaking up as much as he possible trying to improve.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) prepares to pass the ball in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

“I try to focus on decision making, honestly," Richardson admitted about his film study. "I feel like as a quarterback, you’ve got to be able to make great decisions at all times whether that's handing the ball off the right way or just looking at the coverage the right way, checking the play. So, always trying to make sure my decisions are on point and hopefully I can keep getting better at that.”

Part of Richardson making great decisions is knowing when to take the check downs. According to Pro Football Focus, Richardson leads the NFL with an average depth of target (ADoT) of 12.5 yards. The next closest player is Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence at 9.9 yards.

Richardson's high ADoT is a combination of Steichen's play-calling and the quarterback looking for the deep ball at a higher rate than most. But when the deep shot is not there, Richardson needs to know when to find his check down and deliver the ball accurately. It's an area he has shown improvement in since returning as the starter.

"When the easy ones are there, you’ve got to be able to take them," Richardson explained. "You’ve got to be able to just go out there and be a quarterback and make the plays. I feel like I'm growing and calming down a little bit when it's time to play football out there, but there's always room to improve.”

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One area in which Richardson already excels is escaping pressure. Despite the Colts allowing pressure on 41.2% of Richardson's dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL, he has only taken 13 sacks on the season. Richardson's pressure-to-sack percentage of 10.8% ranks fifth among all starting quarterbacks.

But escaping the pressure does not mean the play will be successful. Richardson understands the job is not done when he gets out of a sack. He still needs to make something happen with the football, and if he can deliver consistently, it could take the Colts' offense to another level.

"Whenever I do get the opportunity to avoid a sack, make guys miss, completing the passes whenever I do have the opportunity to do so. Just making guys miss in the backfield isn't enough," Richardson remarked. "So, I'm trying to make sure I get the ball to the guys and they can make moves and go score.”

Richardson's newfound attention to detail and focus on improving his decision-making has produced an overall improvement in his game since the benching. It has not been perfect, and Richardson still has a long way to go, but the strides he has made over the past four games have been encouraging.

Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) grabs onto Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Richardson will have another opportunity to continue improving this weekend against the Tennessee Titans. Richardson missed Indy's first contest against the Titans earlier in the season, dealing with hip and oblique issues. Despite the Titans' 3-11 record, Richardson sees a team with a staunch defense that can cause problems for any team.

“They're pretty good," Richardson replied when asked about the Titans' defense. "They’ve got backers that fly around. Their defensive line upfront is pretty good. They’ve got corners that can play really well. So, they're confident in their coverage. We’ve just got to be able to go out there and beat it.”

The Titans' pass defense will pose a challenge for Richardson on Sunday. They rank third in the NFL in passing yards allowed at 182.2 per game. However, the Titans only rank 18th in the NFL in pass defense efficiency, meaning Richardson and the Colts will have opportunities to take advantage. The key, as always with this Colts' offense, will be execution.

While the Colts' playoff hopes are very slim, they would be mathematically eliminated with a loss on Sunday. Every one of the Colts' remaining games is a must-win, and they will need help along the way if they are to make the postseason. But none of that matters if Indy does not take care of business this weekend.

The loss to the Broncos was a gut punch for the entire team. But Richardson has already moved on, as his only focus is taking down the Titans.

"Every week you're trying to win – win that week," Richardson stated. "We're not necessarily thinking about last week. It happened. It is what it is. So, we're just trying to make sure we finish out strong this year so if we do get an opportunity to get in the playoffs, then we make sure that we take care of our business.”

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