Horseshoe Huddle

Colts' Anthony Richardson Given Harsh Criticism After Win vs. Patriots

Even in a winning effort, some weren't fully satisfied with Anthony Richardson's performance on Sunday.

Jared Koch

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks to throw the ball during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks to throw the ball during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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Despite what would ultimately be an impressive 19-play game-winning drive to cap off a comeback victory against the New England Patriots on Sunday, it seems not everyone was completely impressed with what we saw out of the Indianapolis Colts offense and second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson.

It was a performance from Richardson that picked up speed towards the second half of the contest. Things looked bleak when he threw his second pick on the day to the hands of Christian Gonzalez while the Patriots led by seven with eight minutes to go. Yet, not too long after, the second-year signal caller got another chance to get Indianapolis back on track.

Richardson eventually became the catalyst for the sixth win of the year on the final offensive drive, thanks to the eventual touchdown throw to Alec Pierce with less than thirty seconds to go, along with the two-point conversion to follow and place the Colts ahead.

It was a roller coaster of emotions for Colts fans throughout. But, those keeping an eye on Richardson with a magnifying glass weren't completely sold on what they saw out of Indianapolis and their situation under center.

CBS Sports and Chris Trapasso dished out some grades for the performances of each of the prominent young quarterbacks in Week 13, where Richardson found himself towards the bottom of the group with a C-.

"Slightly disappointing effort from Richardson against the Patriots," Trapasso said. "While he made some quality plays late to help the Colts to victory, this game featured a ton of vertical shots that only had average accuracy and some late decisions at the intermediate level. He did make an impact as a runner."

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A grade of C- puts Richardson in the company of Caleb Williams and C.J. Stroud for the week, also tying for the lowest of the week. In terms of his grade throughout the entire season, Richardson comes out with a C, tying that of second-year Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell.

Richardson finished the day completing 12 of his 24 passes for 109 yards, collecting three touchdowns in the process (two passing, one rushing). On paper, there's more to be desired, but that's not to say his performance was without any positives, especially as a dangerous dual threat who can produce in the ground game.

Looking forward to the final four games of the year, the goal for Richardson will be to maintain his unparalled explosiveness and dual-threat ability, while also fine-tuning his accuracy to improve from his completion percentage of 52.4% over the past three games.

Richardson and the Colts will get a Week 14 bye to get right before embarking back on the road again against the 8-5 Denver Broncos.

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Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

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