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    • Colts coach Shane Steichen won't bench quarterback Anthony Richardson
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    Colts coach Shane Steichen won't bench quarterback Anthony Richardson

    Kathleen William Posted on

    HOUSTON – The questions will keep coming.

    Getting louder and louder.

    The more Anthony Richardson plays, the more he fights, as he did Sunday in a winnable 23-20 loss to the rival Texans that left first place in the AFC South on the line. The Colts are being questioned about their commitment to the young, raw lump of clay they drafted to develop into a franchise quarterback.

    The Colts have not (yet) deviated from their plan.

    Richardson was a liability in Sunday's loss, completing just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards, with a momentum-changing interception, a fumble that cost Indianapolis a field goal and a play where Richardson singled out on a rare play Withdrew from the game was an NFL starting quarterback who needed a breather after three consecutive plays.

    These mistakes have national analysts wondering whether the Colts are ready to pull the plug on Richardson, abandon the plan and hand the ball to veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to get into the playoffs with what appears to be a 4-4 team able to take a wildcard spot in a weak AFC.

    Doyel: Anthony Richardson is erratic, too tired to finish a ride? Let me get off this roller coaster ride

    The Colts’ message remains the same.

    “We continue to work through the process,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. “We continue to struggle with it. We do it together. It's a team game. We’ll go through these things and figure it out.”

    Indianapolis made it clear from the moment it placed the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft on Richardson, with just one season as a full-time starter at the collegiate level, that it would take time to develop him.

    Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay, recalling Peyton Manning's infamous rookie campaign before the Colts made the pick, opted for a highway he acknowledged would have no exits for a while. Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team made Richardson into what he could be, but then stood by that message and promised early in the season that there would be some rollercoaster moments.

    Steichen is firmly convinced: Richardson has to play.

    But the Colts probably knew the organizational message would be tested, especially this season. Indianapolis is now 4-4, a half-game out of the playoff position, and Richardson's numbers for the season aren't getting any better.

    Richardson is completing just 44.4% of his passes, has thrown four touchdowns and seven interceptions and lost two fumbles this season. He has failed to play 100% of the team's offensive snaps in five of his 10 starts in the league – a regularity for most NFL quarterbacks.

    There were flashes.

    Richardson is remarkable in the pocket, deflecting tackles, diving and shooting to avoid sacks. He has an arm big enough to make every play on the field, even if he often can't make the simple throw. When given the chance to get into the open field and run, Richardson is a dynamic presence who opens up space for everyone else, including star running back Jonathan Taylor.

    But games like Sunday's, where Richardson's mistakes hurt the Colts in the worst moments of a game they could have won, put the focus on Richardson's warts.

    The Colts' locker room made a strong case for Richardson after Sunday's performance in Houston.

    “He has people in this locker room that have his back,” defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. “We will continue to support him because the boy is a great talent and he is working hard to give his best for this team.”

    The Colts know the pressure Richardson faces.

    Since Andrew Luck's retirement in 2019, much of the locker room in Indianapolis has found itself wandering in the quarterback wilderness, knowing how desperate the franchise has been for answers at the game's most important position.

    “It's a tough position, I think he handles it well,” wide receiver Alec Pierce said. “The pressure is on but I just want to let him know that we are all behind him. We are here for him, we will get better.”

    Buckner knows a little about what it's like to be in Richardson's shoes.

    He was a top-10 pick on a disappointing 49ers team that was expected to turn everything around right away. When Buckner looks at Richardson, he wants the young quarterback to focus only on what's in front of him.

    “Shut out all outside noise,” Buckner said. “It's hard to do, but never too high, never too low, just try to stay in the middle. … In this league there will be peaks and valleys, there will be storms and it's all about how you get out of those storms.”

    Richardson, for his part, seemed unwaveringly confident after Sunday's game.

    “I feel like I’m a great passer,” Richardson said. “I’ve played quarterback most of my life. I'm just a different quarterback than everyone else, so people will try to point out that I'm not as efficient as everyone else, but to me that's cool. I run the ball much better than any other quarterback. Probably not Lamar (Jacksom), but most quarterbacks. … I just use my strength as best I can, and when I pass the ball I feel good about it, and when I run I feel good about it too.”

    If the Colts want to make the playoffs this season, Richardson's powers will need to be on display much more frequently in the second half of the season.

    Because if they continue to appear in fits and starts, Indianapolis will face far more difficult questions in the near future.

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    Kathleen William
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