Anthony Richardson started off strong by leading a touchdown drive on his first series against Bengals backups in Thursday night’s preseason game. However, the remainder of the night proved challenging for the Colts quarterback as he showcased areas needing improvement in accuracy and consistency during his first significant playing time with offensive starters.
As the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Richardson played the first five offensive series, completing 8 of 14 passes for 86 yards in Indianapolis’ 27-14 win over Cincinnati. He excelled in directing an 80-yard drive on the first series, connecting with receivers and capping it with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell, with his only incompletion coming off a near touchdown.
His night took a turn for the worse when Bengals safety Jordan Battle intercepted Richardson’s pass for a 9-yard touchdown return. Richardson’s struggles continued as drives stalled due to missed connections with Mitchell, leading to punts and a sack with a fumble before being replaced by Sam Ehlinger.
Coming off an injury-marred rookie season, where he was limited to just four starts, Richardson aims to prove his ability to stay healthy and fulfill expectations as the Colts’ future franchise quarterback. Meanwhile, Colts quarterback Jason Bean and the offense secured a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter alongside Spencer Schrader’s successful field goal attempts.
Key players like Jonathan Taylor and Demetric Felton made notable contributions before exiting the game while the Bengals, led by coach Zac Taylor, opted to rest all starters resulting in a winless preseason. Looking ahead, the Colts will kick off the regular season at home against Houston while the Bengals will host New England in their season opener.