INDIANAPOLIS – Anthony Richardson isn’t a finished product.
He’s 22 and has started 15 games.
There clearly are areas that must be addressed as the Indianapolis Colts determine whether the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft is their long-term answer at the most NFL’s most influential position.
Most concerning: Richardson is completing just 47.7% of his passes. That’s the worst among qualifying quarterbacks in the league – 31 are completing at least 60.2% – and bearing down on Jack Trudeau’s dubious franchise record (48.9% in 1986).
But one aspect of Richardson’s game is undeniable.
He’s usually at his best in what Shane Steichen describes as Gotta Have It situations.
“I think that’s a special trait, obviously, as a young player that doesn’t flinch in those times to lead those comebacks,’’ Steichen said Tuesday.
“Those are big-time drives to go win games.’’
- Trailing the New York Jets 27-22 with 2:41 remaining at MetLife Stadium. First-and-10 at the Indy 30. Six plays later, it’s Colts 28-27 as Richardson followed rookie left tackle Matt Goncalves and wideout Ashton Dulin around the left side for a 4-yard touchdown with 46 seconds left.
- Three weeks later, trailing at New England 24-17 with 5:34 to play. First-and-10 at the 20. Nineteen plays and three fourth-down conversions later, the Colts were clutching a 25-24 lead as Richardson hit Alec Pierce with a 3-yard TD pass with 12 seconds remaining and then followed a pulling Quenton Nelson through the right side for the 2-point conversion. On the make-it-or-else fourth downs, Richardson connected with Mo Alie-Cox for 11 yards on fourth-and-3, ran for 6 on fourth-and-2 and hit a crossing Pierce on fourth-and-goal.
- Coming up big in another dicey fourth quarter in Sunday’s closer-than-it-should-have-been 38-30 win over Tennessee at Lucas Oil Stadium. First-and-10 at the Indy 32 with 2:47 on the clock. The Titans had all three of their times out and had scored 23 unanswered points.
Richardson was calm in the mounting storm.
“I think it’s just me playing all the way to the clock hits zero,’’ he said. “I never think about fourth-quarter moments, anything like that.
“I just try to play until the game’s over. It just happens sometimes that most of it happens in the fourth quarter.’’
The collective anxiety level at Lucas Oil was peaking. Would the Colts actually blow a 31-point lead? The memory of their historic collapse against the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 – leading 33-0 at the half, losing 39-36 in overtime – had to be oozing to the surface.
Instead, Richardson and the Colts sealed the deal.
The first pivotal play was Richardson dealing a 10-yard completion to Michael Pittman Jr. on third-and-8 on the first play after the 2-minute warning. Pittman ran a hard out against the soft coverage of cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
“To deliver that on time and in rhythm to Pitt there was a big-time play,’’ Steichen said.
Leading up to that, Richardson had completed 6-of-10 passes for 121 yards on a day the Colts ran 50 times for a franchise-record 335 yards.
“He can just beat you any way he wants,’’ Pittman said. “He’s just so dynamic in everything he can do.
“He’s just able to make plays.’’
After Jonathan Taylor plowed into the middle of the Titans defense for a 2-yard run that forced Brian Callahan to use his first timeout, Richardson responded yet again. He executed a nifty fake up the middle to Taylor, then tucked the ball and picked up 9 yards around left end.
He slid for a first-and-10 at the Titans 45 with 1:45 remaining.
The drive would stall, but the Titans got the football back with just 3 seconds remaining. Kenny Moore II’s second interception of the day officially ended things.
But the Richardson-led offense did more than enough when it mattered.
Everyone got a glimpse of that in his rookie year. Remember week 4 against the visiting Los Angeles Rams? The Colts fell into a 23-0 third-quarter hole before Richardson led them all the way back.
Richardson tossed a 35-yard TD to Mo Alie-Cox in the third quarter, then was white hot in the fourth quarter. He ran for a 1-yard TD and completed 6-of-11 passes for 118 yards and a 5-yard TD to Drew Ogletree with 1:56 remaining. Richardson converted a pair of 2-point plays: one to Zack Moss and another to Pittman that evened things at 23-all.
The Rams won the toss and the game 29-23 on the only OT possession, which ended with Matthew Stafford’s 22-yard TD to Puca Nakua.
But Richardson’s late-game skills were obvious.
Just as they’ve been in his erratic second season.
The wins over the Jets and Patriots were Richardson’s first two fourth-quarter comebacks.
The last possession against Tennessee was a needed save.
Sunday, Richardson and the Colts return to MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants.
“Us being there, winning a game there already this year, I guess there’s a little more comfortability for us,’’ Richardson said. “But every game is a new game, a new opportunity for us to showcase what we can do.’’
Do it again
Sunday offers the possibility of a rare double-dip.
The last time the Colts hit the road against the Giants and Jets in the same season (2006) and same stadium (Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.), they swept them: 26-21 against the Giants in the season opener and 31-28 against the Jets in week 4.
The meeting with the Giants was Manning Bowl I: the Colts’ Peyton versus the Giants’ Eli.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51