In his return to the starting lineup, quarterback Anthony Richardson brought the Indianapolis Colts back from an eight-point deficit, which included a late game-winning scoring drive.
Overall, Richardson put together his best performance of the season. He was much more efficient, completing 20-of-30 passes and did a better job of taking advantage of the short to intermediate throws while still being able to push the ball downfield.
Richardson would go on to throw for 272 yards at an impressive 9.1 yards per attempt with a touchdown.
On the Colts’ final two drives of the game, both of which ended in touchdowns, Richardson was a combined 8-for-10 passing for 129 yards with a throwing touchdown and a rushing touchdown.
After Shane Steichen announced that Richardson would be back starting at quarterback this week, he revealed that the real reason Richardson was benched was for him to take a step back and focus on the day-to-day details that are required in all aspects when it comes to being a successful NFL quarterback.
During the previous two weeks, Steichen had seen major strides from Richardson in that regard, and that preparation carried over to the field on Sunday.
In addition to Richardson’s play, it was also encouraging to see the added emphasis on the run game from the Colts’ offense. Jonathan Taylor would carry the ball 24 times and Shane Steichen also made sure to get Richardson involved in that capacity as well.
From a gameplan standpoint, the blueprint we saw from Indianapolis against the Jets is what I’m going to guess many expected through the first half of the season when Richardson was at quarterback, but that wasn’t always the case.
Now at 5-6 on the season, the Colts keep their playoff hopes alive, but in the grand scheme of it all, Richardson’s performance provided more than just that, he’s given additional long-term hope, showcasing the player that he can be.
