Colts vs. Jets, Week 11 Preview: Anthony Richardson Back to Spark Win?

Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts face Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium Sunday. Here's everything you need to know beforehand.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes 78 yards for a touchdown Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, during a game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sunday brings the NFL world a matchup of two teams in the Indianapolis Colts (4-6) and New York Jets (3-7) who have fallen well short of preseason expectations by the midway point of the season.

The Colts have made their second quarterback switch in the last three weeks, moving from Anthony Richardson to Joe Flacco, and back to Richardson this week. The Jets have fired former head coach Robert Saleh, promoted defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to interim head coach, and even traded for quarterback Aaron Rodgers' old weapon Davante Adams, but things have not clicked.

If you want to know what the NFL thinks of this matchup, they recently made the decision to yank it out of the Sunday Night Football slot and put it in the early window.

Still, both of these teams are capable of more than what they've shown through 10 games. Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s battle between the Colts and Jets.

Broadcast Information

• Date/Time: Sun., Nov. 17, at 1:00pm ET
• Where: East Rutherford, NJ; MetLife Stadium
• Television: CBS — Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty (color), AJ Ross (sideline)
• Stream: Paramount+, NFL+, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube/YouTubeTV, Hulu TV, Fubo TV
• To find out what games will be on in your area on Sunday, check here
• Radio: WFNI 1070-AM The Fan, WLHK 97.1 HANK FM — Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (color), Larra Overton (sideline)

All-Time Series

• Colts lead, 43-29. The Colts have won the last two matchups and three of the last four, dating back to 2016.
• Last game: Week 9 of 2021; Colts won, 45-30.

Coaching Staff

• Colts: head coach Shane Steichen; offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter; defensive coordinator Gus Bradley; special teams coordinator Brian Mason
• Jets: interim head coach/defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich; offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett (play-caller Todd Downing); special teams coordinator Brant Boyer

Injury Report

Colts

• QUESTIONABLE — OT Braden Smith (personal), LB EJ Speed (knee)
• OUT — OT Bernhard Raimann (knee)

Jets

• QUESTIONABLE — WR Davante Adams (wrist, illness), DL Solomon Thomas (knee)
• OUT — OL Jake Hanson (hamstring), LB C.J. Mosley (neck), OT Tyron Smith (neck)

Storylines/Keys

• Lean Into Anthony Richardson's Strengths: Richardson has sat, learned, and adjusted for the last two weeks, but has Steichen also considered how he uses Richardson or what's emphasized? Richardson doesn't need to be forced to execute a pass-heavy pro-style offense; he's at his best on the move. Will we see more designed usage from Richardson's legs, as well as things like bootlegs and rollouts in the passing game?
• Protect Richardson from Fierce Jets Pass Rush: The Jets' front seven is effective against the pass, to put it lightly. They're third in the NFL in sacks (32) and have a whopping 15 players who have a share of a sack. Colts left tackle Raimann is out of this game and will be replaced by rookie Matt Goncalves, while right tackle Smith is questionable. I'm anticipating a lot of 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) to create heavy lines to help out the tackles.
• Jonathan Taylor Grounds the Jets, Again: The good news about more 12 personnel from the Colts is that their biggest recipe for success is punching New York's defense in the mouth with Jonathan Taylor. The Jets are 25th in the NFL against the run (134.0 YPG). They have allowed over 100 yards on the ground for five straight games, including at least 147 in all but one, and 334 in the last two weeks alone.
• Keep it Up, Defense: The Colts' offense has let the defense down for the last several weeks, to put it plainly. The defense played well enough to win the last three games against the Houston Texans (6-4), Minnesota Vikings (7-2), and Buffalo Bills (8-2), averaging 2.7 sacks and 2.0 takeaways in those matchups. However, the quarterback play has been subpar and has created a difficult environment. Imagine winning one or two of these games against bonafide playoff teams, and it totally changes the current tone of the team,

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Projected Weather

• Partly cloudy, temperature mid-60s, 0% chance of precipitation, wind WNW at 6 mph

Referee Assignment

• Head referee: Tra Blake (3 years). Click here to see all referee assignments for Week 11.
• Blake's crew has called the ninth-most penalties (out of 17 crews) in 2024.

Betting Line

• Favorite: Jets (-3.5)
• Over/Under: 43.5

STAT LEADERS

Colts

• Passing: QB Joe Flacco (1,167 yards)
• Rushing: RB Jonathan Taylor (616 yards) 
• Receiving: WR Alec Pierce (516 yards)
• Touchdowns (Non-Pass): RB Jonathan Taylor (5)
• Tackles: LB Zaire Franklin (105)
• Tackles for Loss: DT Grover Stewart (8)
• Sacks: DT DeForest Buckner, DE Kwity Paye, DT Grover Stewart (3.5)
• Interceptions: S Nick Cross, CB Jaylon Jones (2)
• Pass Breakups: CB Jaylon Jones (9)

Jets

• Passing: QB Aaron Rodgers (2,258 yards)
• Rushing: RB Breece Hall (554 yards)
• Receiving: WR Garrett Wilson (704 yards)
• Touchdowns (Non-Pass): WR Garrett Wilson (5)
• Tackles: LB Jamien Sherwood (97)
• Tackles for Loss: DE Will McDonald IV, LB Jamien Sherwood (7)
• Sacks: DE Will McDonald IV (8.0)
• Interceptions: CB Brandin Echols (2)
• Pass Breakups: CB D.J. Reed (8)

TEAM STATS

Colts

• Total Offense: 19th (319.6 YPG)
• Scoring: 18th (20.8 PPG)
• Third-Down: 20th (36.6%)
• Red Zone: T-19th (53.3%)
• Turnovers: T-29th (17)
• Passing YPA: T-18th (7.1)
• Sacks: T-12th (22)
• Rushing YPC: T-7th (4.7)
• Total Defense: 29th (386.7 YPG)
• Scoring: 16th (22.3 PPG)
• Third-Down: 27th (44.3%)
• Red Zone: 17th (56.8%)
• Takeaways: 6th (17)
• Passing YPA: 28th (7.7)
• Sacks: T-19th (22)
• Rushing YPC: T-14th (4.4)

Jets

• Total Offense: 26th (298.5 YPG)
• Scoring: 26th (17.7 PPG)
• Third-Down: 10th (40.6%)
• Red Zone: 24th (51.6%)
• Turnovers: T-9th (11)
• Passing YPA: T-23rd (6.4)
• Sacks: T-14th (23)
• Rushing YPC: T-23rd (4.0)
• Total Defense: T-7th (302.3 YPG)
• Scoring: 10th (21.4 PPG)
• Third-Down: T-17th (37.8%)
• Red Zone: 18th (57.1%)
• Takeaways: 29th (7)
• Passing YPA: T-9th (6.8)
• Sacks: 3rd (32)
• Rushing YPC: T-9th (4.3)

Notes

• This week, the Colts made the following roster moves: Signed LB Liam Anderson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Released DL Adam Gotsis. Elevated G Atonio Mafi and G Josh Sills to the active roster from the practice squad for Sunday's game. Signed OT Mason Brooks to the practice squad. Released DE Derek Rivers from the practice squad.
• Buckner needs 2.0 sacks to pass Chad Bratzke (37.0) for the fifth-most sacks in franchise history.
• WR Josh Downs needs 6 receptions to pass Austin Collie (118) for the fifth-most receptions in a player's first two seasons in franchise history.
• Flacco needs 7 completions to pass John Elway (4,123) for the12th-most in NFL history.
• Franklin needs one game with 10-plus tackles to pass Shaquille Leonard (27) for the most such games in franchise history.
• WR Michael Pittman Jr. needs 9 receptions to pass T.Y. Hilton (374) for the second-most receptions in a player's first five seasons in franchise history.
• Taylor needs 1 rushing touchdown to pass Tom Matte (45) for the third-most in franchise history. Taylor also needs 123 rushing yards to pass Marshall Faulk (5,320) for the third-most rushing yards in franchise history and the second-most in a player's first five seasons in franchise history.

HORSESHOE HUDDLE STAFF PICKS

• Sean Ackerman: Colts 27, Jets 14
• Jake Arthur: Colts 23, Jets 20
• Noah Gebert: Colts 26, Jets 23
• Zach Hicks: Colts 21, Jets 14
• Andrew Moore: Colts 24, Jets 20
• Drake Wally: Colts 23, Jets 20

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