Colts' Weapons Can See Major Boost with Richardson as Starter

The Indianapolis Colts have multiple players who will benefit from Anthony Richardson starting.

Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates with guard Quenton Nelson (56) after throwing a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced that Anthony Richardson will start at quarterback against the New York Jets for week 11 and on.

Per #Colts HC Shane Steichen, Anthony Richardson is back in as the starter for the rest of the season.

— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) November 13, 2024

After benching Richardson two weeks ago for the 17-year veteran Joe Flacco, Indy feels that Richardson is ready to return under center as the leader of Steichen's attack. With Richardson returning, certain offensive weapons and position groups will see a boost in efficiency.

That will be the subject of this piece, let's start with an explosive threat in the receiving game.

Alec Pierce

Nov 10, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) catches a touchdown pass under coverage from Buffalo Bills cornerback Brandon Codrington (29) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

While Flacco connected with receiver Alec Pierce as the field general, Richardson under center is a far better option for the pass-catcher. Pierce has 23 catches for 516 receiving yards (22.4 average) and 4 touchdowns. While Pierce can still improve in multiple areas as a wide receiver, he's been the biggest menace to opposing secondaries of any in the position group this year.

Now that Richardson is re-inserted into the starting lineup, expect Pierce to receive more opportunities to make plays, and earlier in the game. Pierce's impact with Richardson can be felt as early as the Colts' clash at MetLife Stadium with the Jets if the 22-year-old quarterback can find rhythm after being benched the last two games.

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Jonathan Taylor

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes for 59 yards Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Running back Jonathan Taylor has essentially carried the Colts' offense when he's been healthy and starting in the backfield. So far this season, Taylor has 126 carries for 616 rushing yards (4.9 average), and 5 touchdowns. He's also hauled in 12 catches for 108 receiving yards. It's simple, Taylor is more of a threat to opposing defenses when Richardson's mobility is a factor.

Anthony Richardson back as the starter should be a nice little boost to Jonathan Taylor again.

Taylor w/ Flacco: 49 rushes for 220 yards (4.4 ypc). 12% explosive run rate

Taylor w/ Richardson: 77 rushes for 396 yards (5.1 ypc) and 5 TDs. 17% explosive run rate

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) November 13, 2024

With a pocket passer like Flacco, defenses stack the box with linebackers and extra players to ensure that Taylor doesn't have easy paths through the gaps. There's no added element of Flacco being able to run away from anyone, so all defensive eyes are on Taylor. While the former Wisconsin Badgers playmaker is good enough to create plays without QB-run help, it still doesn't hurt to have that added wrinkle to the gameplan.

As Indianapolis on SI.com's Zach Hicks posted on X, Taylor is in better hands with Steichen's offense when Richardson is controlling things. While the Jets boast a talented defensive front and pass resistance, run defense isn't good (25th in the NFL - 134.0 yards allowed per game), so this might be a great chance for Taylor to shine. Expect Steichen to implement a run-heavy game plan featuring a lot of Richardson and Taylor.

Offensive Line

Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) blocks against Houston Texans linebacker Jake Hansen (35) during the game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Colts offensive line started to suffer in pass protection under Flacco as the starter, letting up 7 sacks against the Minnesota Vikings (3) and Buffalo Bills (4). While part of this can be attributed to Indy starting three different rookies on the offensive line (Matt Goncalves - tackle, Tanor Bortolini - center, and Dalton Tucker - guard) in that time frame, much can also be blamed for Flacco's lack of ability to escape the collapsing pocket. Enter Richardson.

Richardson has struggled to throw the football this year but was only sacked 9 times in six starts. This is due to his innate tendency to throw off a would-be sack or run away from the pressuring defender. While it can bust a play, it can also allow for an explosive scamper from Richardson, or a massive pass downfield, devastating a defense. Richardson must improve in many areas, but avoiding sacks isn't. If the young signal-caller can avoid getting pressured into bad throws and maintain as a pure QB long enough, his offensive line can block better given his ability to maneuver in and out of a pocket.

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