The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) failed to end their winless streak on opening day for the 10th consecutive season following the 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 1.
Despite a promising, yet inconsistent debut from rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, the Colts couldn’t pull off the upset against the division rival. Most power rankings still have the Colts near the bottom of the league, but they seem to be inching their way up slowly.
Buy Colts TicketsEach week, we’ll round up where the Colts sit in the power rankings according to several outlets. Next to their ranking, the number in parentheses indicates the change from the previous week. A positive number means they’re moving up the power rankings.
Here’s where the Colts stand in the Week 2 power rankings:
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 29 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Despite the presence of rookie QB Anthony Richardson, the youngest player (21 years, 111 days) in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to pass for a TD and run for one in the same game, Indianapolis hasn’t won its opener in 10 years.”
Touchdown Wire
Author: Jarrett Bailey
Rank: 27 (+1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Anthony Richardson looks like the answer the question “What if Cyborg played quarterback?” He looked good, even without the aid of Jonathan Taylor in the backfield. They won’t win a lot of games, but the Colts are going to be fun to watch and will beat the living hell out of you for 60 minutes.”
Bleacher Report
Author: NFL Staff
Rank: 28 (+3)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “For the Indianapolis Colts, the 2023 season is less about winning games than it is about developing young quarterback Anthony Richardson.
In that regard, Sunday’s game was about as encouraging as the Colts could have hoped.
Richardson wasn’t flawless, and he suffered a knee bruise late in the game. But the No. 4 overall pick completed nearly 65 percent of his passes for 223 yards, led the Colts in rushing and scored both through the air and on the ground.
While addressing the media after the game, head coach Shane Steichen said he was impressed by Richardson’s first NFL start.
“I thought he played solid. I did,” Steichen said. “You know what, I’ll take the fault for that interception right there, second-and-10 or whatever. It was a Cover 2 deal, and we didn’t have a great route called there. Got to be better there. I thought he managed the game well. I thought he did some good things. Really encouraged with his progress and what he did.”
The Colts still have problems, including a disastrous situation at running back. But Richardson and Indy gave the Jaguars a game in Week 1.
If he can build on that performance, it will mean more for the team in the long term than a few losses in the short term.
“Despite all of the proclamations to the contrary, Richardson was ready to be a Week 1 starter,” Sobleski said. “Richardson played better than fellow rookies Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. In fact, he became the first player in NFL history to pass for 200 yards, run for 40 more, throw a passing touchdown and score once on the ground in his debut, according to StatMuse NFL. He added to the record books as the youngest player in the Super Bowl era to pass and run for a touchdown in a game, per CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr.
“More importantly, the rebuilding Colts are fun and feisty. They gave the reigning AFC South champs everything they could handle. Indy still has its limitations, but it’s clear the team is now building in the right way.”
ESPN NFL Nation
Author: Stephen Holder
Rank: 30 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Best debut performance: QB Anthony Richardson
Week 1 stats: 24-of-37 passing for 223 yards, TD, INT
The No. 4 overall pick had an impressive debut in a losing effort, mostly avoiding huge mistakes and making several plays with his legs that lifted his team. He was accurate, completing 65% of his attempts against Jacksonville. The challenge moving forward will be making the progression to more explosive plays and throwing with a little more anticipation. The Colts aren’t consistently winning matchups down the field, so they’re going to need to produce some runs after the catch. That will require timely throws from Richardson.”
Sporting News
Author: Vinnie Iyer
Rank: 29 (+1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The Colts will hope Anthony Richardson isn’t injured too badly, because he did give them a nice spark, proving early he’s a good fit for Shane Steichen’s offense. The defense, outside of one big play, showed it will be a long-haul problem this season.
Pro Football Network
Author: Dallas Robinson
Rank: 28 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Shane Steichen’s Philadelphia Eagles influence on the Indianapolis Colts’ playbook was evident, as Anthony Richardson took 10 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. Indy’s offensive line, maligned in 2022 after years of dominance, mostly held up against the Jacksonville Jaguars’ front.
This was a three-point game with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Colts will take that against a Jacksonville club expected to compete for the AFC title.”
Pro Football Focus
Author: Amelia Probst, Arjun Menon, Judah Fortgang
Rank: 31 (-1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: N/A
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 30 (-1)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Anthony Richardson’s first NFL start was an interesting Rorschach test, simultaneously providing encouragement and a reminder of how far he and the Colts still must come. Elements of the Jalen Hurts playbook that made Shane Steichen a hot coaching candidate were on display, notably with Richardson’s TD draw play. But part of what was missing was the downfield passing. Most of Richardson’s throws were quick, and 136 of his 223 passing yards came after the catch. He also dealt with a knee injury (suffered in the first quarter) and ankle injury on Sunday, coming out of the game in the final minute. Richardson’s running ability was as advertised, and there were impressive throws scattered throughout, but you can tell this offense is in its developmental infancy.”
Yahoo Sports
Author: Frank Schwab
Rank: 29 (–)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Anthony Richardson’s passing chart was startling. He threw almost exclusively to the right side of the field. Teams will often try to make half-field reads for young quarterbacks, especially in run-pass option heavy attacks, but at some point soon defenses are going to force Richardson to show he can use the other half of the field.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 29 (-3)
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Anthony Richardson flashed at times in his first start, but there was too much inconsistency and he held the ball too long. He also got banged up late.”
