Joe Flacco Rescues Colts in Anthony Richardson's Stead to Top Steelers

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco kept the offense afloat after Anthony Richardson exited the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) tosses the ball to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With 5:42 left in the first quarter on Sunday, Lucas Oil Stadium fell silent.

Not again.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson lay on the field in pain after a 14-yard scramble. Richardson was tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers safeties DeShon Elliott and Minkah Fitzpatrick, with Fitzpatrick's hit landing directly to the hip of the Colts' quarterback. Trainers surrounded Richardson as the crowd intently watched on.

Eventually, Richardson got up and walked off under his own power. Richardson did return for one more play, but his hip was not right, and the Colts held him out for the rest of the game.

With Richardson sidelined, it was up to Joe Flacco to take the offense's reins and help lead the Colts to victory. The veteran quarterback did just that, as Flacco steadied the offense, and the Colts took down the undefeated Steelers 27-24.

"It was different. It definitely took a little bit of time for me to kind of just settle down," Flacco admitted. "And it's kind of like I kept telling myself, just do the simple things. And it's definitely a different experience when you come in like that.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Flacco has been a starting quarterback for most of his 17-year career. Out of 189 games, Flacco has started 185 of them. Coming off the bench has been a fairly new experience for the former Super Bowl MVP.

But Flacco hardly has any experience being thrown into the fire mid-game, especially as a backup who hardly receives any reps throughout the week. Backup quarterbacks always have to be ready in case this situation occurs. Flacco's secret to staying ready is not to overthink things and rely on his countless years of throwing the football.

"You can't overthink it," Flacco explained. "It's football. And I think everybody's personality is a little bit different. So, some guys love to think about every little thing and everything that can go right, everything that can go wrong, and that's how they play best. That's how they stay locked in. I think my personality probably lends itself decent to this type of situation because yeah, it's like, don't overthink it, don't overdo it. It's just a game of football."

Flacco finished 16-of-26 (62%) for 168 yards and two touchdowns to help bring the Colts to 2-2 on the year. Just like he has done over the years, Flacco came up huge in the biggest moments of the game. The Colts were 8-of-15 on third down, sustaining drives that gave Indy their longest time of possession this season.

Flacco often found Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs to convert those crucial third downs. Pittman had easily his best game with six catches for 113 yards after struggling to get going over the first three games. Downs looked back to his old self after the high ankle sprain with eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown of his own.

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Combine the performances of Flacco, Pittman, and Downs with Jonathan Taylor adding 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and the major pieces of the Colts' offense came together to pull out a victory in Richardson's absence.

"The third down conversions were huge," Flacco said. "I think I hit Pitt on the first one. Hit Josh on the next one. ... I think everybody came up big. That’s what you’ve got to do it. I mean, when you're me, when you kind of come in and you get thrown into those situations, you just trust your guys to do the right thing and see what happens in the end.”

"Obviously, he's played a lot of football," head coach Shane Steichen mentioned about Flacco. "Went in there and operated pretty darn good – threw two touchdowns. Moved the offense up and down the field. Did a nice job for us, for sure.”

While Flacco kept the offense moving, all eyes will be on Richardson throughout the week as he deals with the hip injury. Early indications are Richardson suffered a hip pointer and that it is not a serious injury. Richardson tried to return to the game but could not accelerate like he wished. The Colts took a cautious approach and decided to hold Richardson out, trusting Flacco could bring home the win.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) talks with Indianapolis Colts Shane Steichen on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Richardson was off to a great start before the injury, going 3-of-4 (75%) for 71 yards with 24 yards on the ground. He looked much calmer than in the previous three games, leading to accurate throws to all areas of the field. Richardson was trending towards his best game of the year, and the type of performance he showed early is what the Colts want to see consistently out of their QB1.

Richardson did offer encouraging words on his injury after the game, suggesting he could return as early as Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I’m feeling a little sore but feeling good we got the W today," Richardson said. "Great execution by everyone on the field today. I think I’m going to be good, just a little soreness.”

If Richardson cannot go next week or has to miss time in the future, the Colts now have proof Flacco can come in and handle the job. Sunday was a big win for the Colts over the Steelers as the team is beginning to grow momentum. But now is not the time to rest on their laurels, as the team will need to continue finding ways to improve throughout the long season.

"You really do have to take each week individually in this league," Flacco remarked. "There's really no – not much correlation. I mean, when you get on a roll, you can obviously get on a roll, but I kind of alluded to it a little bit earlier, it’s still so early in the season, four weeks in. We're still trying to figure things out both ways, deal with what we have to deal with, and then go out there and get a victory."

On a day when the Colts had to roll with the punches, they overcame adversity and beat one of the lone undefeated teams left in the NFL. So no, thankfully, it does not look like Richardson suffered a major injury.

But if his number has to be called again, Flacco is ready to come to the rescue.

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