Another tough performance by quarterback Anthony Richardson led to the Indianapolis Colts’ 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Richardson completed only 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. This ended the Colts’ two-game winning streak and put them further behind the first-place Texans (6-2) in the AFC South at 4-4.
He also raised some eyebrows when he explained why he left the game for a play before a field goal in the third quarter.
“I was tired, I ain’t gonna lie,” he said. “That was a lot of running right there. I didn’t think I’d be able to do that next play so I told them I needed a break right there.”
Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen mentioned earlier this week that they are looking for growth from their young quarterback with each game.
It was hard to see much growth on Sunday, as Richardson struggled to advance the offense while facing heavy pressure. The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft was sacked five times and hit eight more times.
This performance followed a return from a hip injury last week, where he managed just 129 yards passing, but the Colts won against Miami 16-10 with two field goals in the fourth quarter.
Steichen quickly defended his quarterback on Sunday, saying that everyone needs to improve.
“We’ve just got to keep working through it,” he said. “He’s got a good work effort. He grinds through these things; it’s a process, and we’ll do it together. This ain’t about one guy — it’s about the team. It’s always about the team.”
Richardson has completed only 44.4% of his passes this season, but he brushed off criticism about his completion percentage.
“I feel like I’m a great passer,” he said. “I’ve been playing quarterback pretty much my whole life. I’m just a different quarterback from everybody else, so people are going to try to point out that I’m not as efficient as everybody else. It’s cool to me.”
He later seemed to compare himself to Michael Vick when discussing his completion percentage.
“They say Vick didn’t have a great completion percentage his first couple of years, and he was probably one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever do it,” Richardson said. “So, I don’t necessarily look at numbers. I look at each play for itself because I can’t control everything that happens on every play. I can only control what I can control. If my numbers are low, that just means I’ve got to pick them up and play better.”
Vick had a completion rate of 44.2% as a rookie, but he played only eight games that year with two starts. He completed at least 50% of his passes in each of the next five seasons.
Richardson completed just two of 15 passes in the first half as the Colts fell behind 17-10 by halftime.
One of those completions was important, though. He found Josh Downs wide open for a 69-yard touchdown that gave the Colts a 10-3 lead in the first quarter.
He struggled after that, but Jonathan Taylor helped move the offense with 20 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown in his return after missing three games due to an ankle injury.
Taylor said it’s important for the Colts to support Richardson as they try to improve their offense.
“We just have to let him know… we have your back,” Taylor said. “This is not just a one play, one-game thing. We’re in it for the long haul, we have a goal that we want to achieve, and it’s going to take all of us — every single one of us, every single day giving it their all.”
