INDIANAPOLIS – Anthony Richardson is back in command of the offense.
Coach Shane Steichen said Richardson will start against the Jets in Week 11 and remain the starting quarterback going forward.
Joe Flacco made the last two starts for Indianapolis. The Colts lost both games, and the Week 9 loss marked Indy’s worst offensive output of the season. Flacco had four turnovers in the Colts’ Week 10 loss to Buffalo.
The Colts were 1-3 in games in which Flacco started. They’re 3-3 with Richardson under center.
Steichen said the attention to detail needed to be at a “higher standard” for Richardson, whether it meant the weight room, classroom, walkthroughs, practice–“all those little things.”
“That was discussed with him two weeks ago, and those are the conversations that took place,” Steichen said. “He’s made strides in those areas–big-time strides. [He’s] becoming a pro’s pro.”
He acknowledged Richardson was a work in progress.
“Is he a finished product? No, he’s not, and it’s my job to help him get there, along with the rest of the coaching staff.”
Steichen said neither he nor the staff lost faith in Richardson or his abilities. The coach informed Flacco of his decision Tuesday; the veteran took it in stride because he’s the “ultimate pro” and understood the reason behind the change, Steichen said.
The team learned about the decision on Wednesday morning.
“Everyone has a different way of development, how you go about the process,” Steichen said of Richardson. “And everyone wants instant gratification right now. Sometimes it doesn’t work like that. You fight through these times, and I love Anthony. He’s a great person. [I’ve] got great faith in him and his abilities to be our franchise quarterback.”
Richardson’s reaction
Richardson also spoke the media on Wednesday. He said the last two weeks “opened his eyes” and allowed him to take a “deeper dive” into himself. He said he was willing to sacrifice anything for the team.
“I feel like there’s room for improvement all around,” Richardson said. “That’s just always been a thing of mine–trying to perfect that, just get better at that, just being consistent in all aspects.”
The young quarterback said he now understands he has to make sacrifices, just as the veterans on the team have.
“As a pro, you feel like, ‘Okay, I’m doing my work, I’m getting it done.’ And you think that’s enough, but it’s never enough, especially not for the vets. They feel like, if they’ve gotta do the extra work, you’ve gotta do it, too. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
Richardson didn’t love being on the sidelines but said it was a learning moment.
“As a competitor, you never want to just be on the sideline. You always feel like there’s an opportunity for you to go out and help your team. Just sitting on the sidelines allowed me to just to look and see the certain things I could correct about myself, certain things that the team needed help with.”
Despite being benched in favor of Flacco, Richardson was often on the sidelines high-fiving teammates and shouting encouragement.
“Just because you’re not the starting quarterback at the time doesn’t mean you have to be a bad teammate,” he said. “I’m always out there trying to be there for my guys. At that moment, I’m always trying to bring the energy and bring the spark to the team.”
He’s grateful for the opportunity to get back on the field and pledged to work hard to keep the job.
“I’m glad that Shane [Steichen] feels like I’m the guy once again. I’m just forever grateful. Just thankful.”
Flacco acknowledged he was disappointed in how things turned out in the last two games, both losses for the Colts. He also said Richardson has plenty of room for growth.
“Listen, I think any time you come to this league, you have things to learn,” Flacco said of the young QB. “I think he’s done a great job of keeping his head on the right way, showing up and working hard.”