INDIANAPOLIS – One phase of the Indianapolis Colts’ run game is hummin’ quite nicely.
Anthony Richardson has generated 335 yards – sixth-most by a quarterback despite missing four games – and is coming off a career-best 61 yards on 10 carries in last Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
“I didn’t know that was a career-high,’’ he said Wednesday afternoon, “but I guess that’s a good thing.’’
It is, and Shane Steichen has noticed what his dual-threat talent has brought to the offense.
“He’s running strong,’’ he said. “He’s running angry, too.’’
The Colts are tapping into the skillset that led them to select Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft. You know, the size (6-4, 250 pounds), strength, speed and overall physicality.
The 61 yards are the most by a Colts’ quarterback since Curtis Painter’s 79 at Tennessee in 2011 and tied for the 8th-most in club history. Richardson shares the No. 8 rung with John Unitas.
Barring injury, he’ll obliterate Mike Pagel’s single-season franchise record for rushing by a quarterback (441 in 1983). His 335 yards sit No. 4 behind Pagel and Andrew Luck (377 in ’13, 341 in ’16).
“I think I did a decent job of helping the team move the ball,’’ Richardson said of his legwork against the Lions. “That’s really my part when it comes to running the ball, just find a way to make the offense get going whenever JT is a little slow . . . whenever we can’t find a way to get him going.’’
And that’s getting to be a major issue.
Steichen and coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are having a difficult time getting Jonathan Taylor going.
“It’s been frustrating the last couple of weeks,’’ Steichen said, “but you just keep sticking to the process and the grind of everything and I think it’ll come.
“Hopefully, it’s this week and we get that thing rolling.’’
This week is Sunday’s meeting with the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The 3-9 Patriots have been vulnerable to the run, ranking No. 18 in yards per game (123.1) and No. 12 in yards per attempt (4.3).
It’s difficult to put a positive spin on what the Colts have gotten recently from one of the NFL’s premier running backs.
It was believed Richardson’s return to the starting lineup following his two-week benching would give the run game – and Taylor – a jumpstart after two lackluster games with Joe Flacco under center. Schematically, his presence should amplify Taylor’s decisiveness, vision and acceleration.
But that hasn’t been the case.
In the past two games, Taylor’s actually been outrushed by Richardson 93-92 and averaged just 2.6 yards on 35 attempts.
And over the past four games, he’s averaged 63.5 yards per game and 3.7 per attempt and that’s with a 114-yard outing against the Buffalo Bills.
Too often, the patchwork offensive line hasn’t given Taylor any room to maneuver. Of his 69 carries over the past four games, 42 – 61% – have been for 2 yards or fewer. Fifteen have been for no gain or a loss.
Only six of his attempts have picked up at least 10 yards, topped by a 58-yarder against the Bills.
The inability to establish Taylor early and ride him late has stressed the entire offense. It’s failed to score a touchdown in two of the last four games.
“When you’re getting 2 or 3 yards, obviously it changes the little things throughout the game and how you’re calling it,’’ Steichen said. “But again, we want to be efficient running the football and we’ve got to get those 3, 4, 5 yards a pop, and then hopefully hit the big ones this week.’’
The overriding factor in Taylor’s ineffectiveness has been the injury-depleted offensive line.
The Colts likely will start a sixth different starting combination against the Patriots.
Right guard Will Fries (broken leg) and center Ryan Kelly (knee) are on the injured reserve list. Fries is done for the season while Kelly might return and is eligible for the Dec. 15 trip to Denver. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann has missed one game with a concussion and the past two with a knee injury.
That has resulted in the Colts starting three rookies in a game for the first time since 2016. In the past two weeks, third-round pick Matt Goncalves has filled in for Raimann, fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini has stepped in for Kelly and undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker has been at right guard.
More adjustments loom.
Bortolini is in the NFL’s concussion protocol, which opens the door for veteran Danny Pinter to see his first offensive snaps of the season, and first since the 2022 season finale, He missed last season with a broken left ankle.
“You can only control what you can control,’’ Pinter said. “I’ve tried to come in every day and just prepare like you’re going to play, try to get better every single day.
“We’ve got such good guys in the room. They make that easy to come in and go to work with. It’s really just about getting better every day.”
Also, Tucker’s declining effectiveness might lead to recently-signed Mark Glowinski starting Sunday.
“We’ll see,’’ Steichen said. “We’re looking at some things. So, we’ll see how that goes.’’
More injuries
Steichen didn’t offer much optimism for Josh Downs’ availability for the Patriots. The team’s leading receiver suffered an injury to his right shoulder Sunday against the Lions.
“I think it’s going to be tough for him this week,’’ Steichen said. “Not ruling it out, but could be tough for him this week.’’
The Colts held a walkthrough Wednesday and wideouts Alec Pierce (foot) and Ashton Dulin (ankle) were among the players who did not participate.
Raimann was limited.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.