• Richardson simply needs more reps: The sophomore quarterback simply needs playing time, as he remains inexperienced at both the college and NFL levels. He’s the youngest starting quarterback in the league and has made just 18 total starts since high school.
• Clear areas for improvement: It wasn’t all perfect for Richardson last Sunday, highlighting his room for growth. His 50.0% adjusted completion percentage was tied for the lowest among all starters in Week 1 with at least 22 dropbacks. Accuracy, a concern in college, continues to be an issue in his limited NFL action.
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
After playing only four games in his rookie season — and finishing just two without being sidelined by injury — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has a lot to prove in his second year.
The sophomore quarterback simply needs playing time, as he remains inexperienced at both the college and NFL levels. He’s the youngest starting quarterback in the league and has made just 18 total starts since high school.
As the former fourth overall pick, Richardson has the potential to elevate the Colts from a playoff contender to a legitimate force. While quarterback play often separates true contenders from the rest, this feels especially true for Indianapolis.
Anthony Richardson: Week 1 stats
Richardson’s first start of the 2024 season was a mixed bag, featuring moments of brilliance alongside typical growing pains. His stats reflect this inconsistency: two big-time throws paired with a 50% adjusted completion percentage encapsulate the enigma that is Anthony Richardson. His two big-time throws, in particular, showcase the immense talent he brings to the field.
ANTHONY RICHARDSON OMG 🚀
pic.twitter.com/PLhnKuDZQg— PFF (@PFF) September 8, 2024
We’ve all seen this one. It’s one of the best throws you’ll see all year, and it earned a +2 PFF grade, the highest possible for a single play.
Attempting a throw like this is bold, but completing it after slipping at the top of his drop, getting back up and launching a perfect 65-plus-yard pass is simply unbelievable.
Typically, you would want your quarterback to climb the pocket to generate the strength needed to pull off this throw, but it speaks to Richardson’s arm talent that he can make this throw while off-balance and with defenders in his face.
oh my pic.twitter.com/8pYHr2PRqG
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) September 11, 2024
This throw may have flown under the radar, but it again showcases Richardson's remarkable arm talent. It’s essentially a dagger concept: One receiver runs up the seam to pull the deep defender, another runs an intermediate dig route and a shallow route occupies the flat.
With the Texans dropping into two-deep coverage, Richardson knows the deep route isn’t an option, and he’ll need more time to hit the dig, as it’s a slower-developing concept. He feels slight interior pressure, calmly slides to his left, and fires a missile when the intermediate defender steps up to cover the flat.
There are only a handful of players who can make both of those throws.
However, it wasn’t all perfect for Richardson on Sunday, highlighting his room for growth. His 50.0% adjusted completion percentage was tied for the lowest among all starters in Week 1 with at least 22 dropbacks. Accuracy, a concern in college, continues to be an issue in his limited NFL action.
This is one of those misses that will frustrate Colts fans. After either checking into this play or setting the protection, Richardson faces a zero-blitz from the Texans. The Colts handle the pressure perfectly, giving him enough time to make the throw. Unfortunately, he overshoots it, missing out on a potential touchdown. There’s an argument that there might have been some miscommunication, as he hesitates before releasing the ball, but with the receiver as open as he was, it’s a throw that needs to be completed.
There were other throws throughout the game that further highlighted his accuracy issues. Richardson just needs to raise the floor of his game, which will improve with more reps. You can already see how dangerous the Colts offense could be, and that’s without even mentioning his ability as a runner. That adds another dimension to this offense, and if he can stay healthy, the sky’s the limit for Richardson and this Colts team.
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