Colts Win, But Anthony Richardson Injury Makes It Bittersweet

The Indianapolis Colts got a division win against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday but lost starting quarterback Anthony Richardson for the third time in five weeks.

The Indianapolis Colts left the field at Lucas Oil Stadium victorious on Sunday after defeating the Tennessee Titans, 23-16, but their quarterback's day had already ended over 30 minutes prior.

Late in the second quarter, Anthony Richardson ran to his right and was caught by Titans defender Harold Landry III, which led to Richardson's right throwing shoulder being driven into the turf.

He would leave the field clearly in pain before making his way to the medical tent and then the locker room before ultimately being declared out for the game. He was replaced by Gardner Minshew, who did a solid job moving the offense in Richardson's absence.

After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters he didn't have any further information on Richardson beyond it being a shoulder injury.

ANTHONY RICHARDSON

© Hali Tauxe/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

— At the time of Richardson's injury, the Colts were up 10-6, and Richardson was 9-of-12 passing (75.0%) for 98 yards (8.2 YPA) and a passer rating of 98.6. He also had 2 carries for 5 yards (2.5 avg.). He had some nice moments, including a shot deep down the left side to Josh Downs on 3rd-and-16 that went for 38 yards, as well as an inside throw on a rope to Drew Ogletree on 3rd-and-6 that picked up 13 yards. This is the third time that Richardson has been injured this season in the first five games (he's appeared in four), suffering knee/ankle ailments in Week 1, a concussion in Week 2 that cost him a game-and-a-half, and then Sunday with the shoulder injury. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Richardson underwent X-rays that came out negative.

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OFFENSE

© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

— Minshew came in and moved the offense adequately, cashing in on three scoring drives, including two in the fourth quarter. He was 11-of-14 passing (78.6%) for 155 yards (11.1 YPA) and a passer rating of 112.8. He has proven to be exactly what the Colts need him to be but they will need to keep up their strong play in the run game to support him when he's on the field.

— Lost in all of this was Jonathan Taylor's season debut. While Zack Moss dominated (more on that below), Taylor was peppered in occasionally to get his feet wet. He carried the ball 6 times for 18 yards (3.0 avg.) and also had a 16-yard reception. He will continue to get increased work in the coming weeks.

— What a day by Zack Moss, who put up the best performance of his career. He set a new career high with 165 rushing yards on 23 carries (7.2 avg.) to go with 2 touchdowns and 2 catches for another 30 yards. His first touchdown of the day was a beautifully-blocked, 56-yard run. The Colts just invested heavily in Taylor but there's no reason to completely phase Moss out. Right now, the Colts have the makings of one of the NFL's most potent backfield tandems.

— Let's see even more of Josh Downs and Drew Ogletree, please. Whenever these guys get the ball, it feels like good things happen. Downs has become the second option in the Colts' passing game behind Michael Pittman Jr., putting up a career-best 97 yards on 6 receptions. So far, all 5 of Ogletree's receptions this season have gone for first downs.

DEFENSE

Mandatory Credit: Bob Scheer-USA TODAY Sports

— The Colts' defensive front did a solid job understanding the assignment and not allowing Derrick Henry to run wild on them. He totaled just 43 yards on 13 carries (3.3 avg.) and was stuffed for no gain on a crucial fourth down at Indy's 5-yard line late in the game. Henry didn't kill them...

— ...but DeAndre Hopkins did. There are only a few receivers more accomplished than Hopkins over the last decade, so the fact that he went off for a season-high 140 yards against a Colts defense starting two rookies at outside corner in JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones shouldn't come as a shock. This game was pretty close throughout, and Hopkins was a huge reason why.

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