Anthony Richardson Showed Exactly What We Needed To See
Source: Al Bello / Getty
Heading into his first start since being thrust back into the starting lineup, there were nothing but questions surrounding Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Would he show better command of the offense? Would his accuracy continue to remain an issue? How would he respond following a tumultuous two weeks that saw him benched for Joe Flacco, only to regain his starting position when Flacco flamed out?
Richardson had to know those questions were out there, and he responded by having the best game of his young career.
Against the Jets and their well-regarded defense, Richardson went 20-of-30, a completion percentage of 66.7%, for 272 yards passing and 1 touchdown. He also ran two scores in as well, including the game-winner with under a minute left in regulation. There were some misses, and he fumbled twice, losing one, but he also made plenty of big-time throws in the 4th quarter with the game on the line. Earlier in the season, the Colts seemed to win almost in spite of Richardson. On Sunday in New York, they won because of him.
This was exactly the type of performance we needed to see from Richardson in his return to the lineup. Against a defense that, at least on paper, is pretty solid, Richardson looked calm and composed. He made plays when he needed to, and for the most part, took care of the ball.
Basically, he looked like a franchise quarterback,
For the first time this season, and maybe even in his career, you saw Richardson put together a full 60 minutes of good football. As I said, it wasn’t perfect, and it would be folly to expect things to be perfect going forward, but it was a performance that you can build from.
Does this mean that he’s guaranteed to pan out here in Indy? Of course not. But it is a step in the right direction, and after all the ups and the far more frequent downs of this season, the Colts will take it.
During the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, Stephen Holder of ESPN joined the show and gave his thoughts on how Richardson played. Check out that conversation down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
Anthony Richardson Showed Exactly What We Needed To See was originally published on 1075thefan.com
