Passer rating is not the perfect way to measure how good a quarterback is, but it does reveal some strange things about the Colts this season.
Anthony Richardson, the Colts’ starting quarterback, has the lowest passer rating in the NFL among the 32 quarterbacks with enough attempts. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco, the backup, is ranked first.
Richardson played in the first four games and completed 39 of 77 passes for 654 yards, with three touchdowns and six interceptions, resulting in a low passer rating of 60.2.
Flacco stepped in for Richardson in Week Four and started in Week Five. He has completed 49 of 70 passes for 527 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions, giving him a high passer rating of 115.6.
The Colts see Richardson as their future quarterback and are focused on developing him, so there is no real competition in Indianapolis. Flacco is there to support him and perform well when Richardson cannot play, which he has done effectively.
This is the second year in a row that Flacco has excelled as a backup to a highly regarded starter. Last year, he became the starting quarterback for the Browns after Deshaun Watson was injured and performed much better, helping the team reach the playoffs.
However, the Browns did not offer him a chance to return as Watson’s backup, likely because they didn’t want fans to notice Flacco’s superiority.
Flacco’s strong performances raise the question of why he only received a one-year, $5 million offer to be a backup in Indianapolis. Maybe another team should have made him a better offer to compete for a starting job. For two years now, Flacco has played exceptionally well when given the chance.
