The Indianapolis Colts faced a challenging game against the Houston Texans, resulting in a narrow 23-20 defeat that marked a setback for their young quarterback, Anthony Richardson.
Richardson struggled significantly during the game, completing only 10 of his 32 passing attempts, totaling 175 yards, with one touchdown but also throwing an interception. This loss halted the Colts’ two-game winning streak and put them deeper into the chase in the AFC South, where the Texans lead with a 6-2 record, leaving the Colts at 4-4.
During the third quarter, Richardson drew attention for his reasoning behind leaving the field for a play just before a field goal. “I was tired, I ain’t gonna lie,” he admitted. “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.”
Colts head coach Shane Steichen is focused on Richardson’s growth, emphasizing the need for improvement game by game. However, Sunday’s performance raised questions about that progress as Richardson faced considerable pressure, resulting in him being sacked five times and hit eight additional times.
This performance came after Richardson had previously gained just 129 passing yards in his last game after returning from a hip injury, where the Colts nonetheless managed to secure a 16-10 victory over Miami with two late field goals.
Steichen expressed his support for Richardson, emphasizing the collective responsibility of the team. “We’ve just got to keep working through it,” he stated. “He’s got a good work ethic. 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.”
With a completion percentage of only 44.4% this season, Richardson dismissed the criticism of his performance. “I feel like I’m a great passer,” he asserted. “I’ve been playing quarterback pretty much my whole life. I’m just a different quarterback from everybody else.”
Additionally, Richardson drew a parallel to the legendary Michael Vick regarding completion percentages, mentioning, “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.” He conveyed that he focuses on improving from each play rather than solely on statistics.
In the first half, Richardson only completed two out of 15 passes as the Colts trailed 17-10 at halftime. However, one of those completions was pivotal, as he connected with Josh Downs for a 69-yard touchdown, giving the Colts a brief 10-3 lead in the first quarter.
Jonathan Taylor provided support for the offense with a solid performance, carrying the ball 20 times for 105 yards and a touchdown in his return from an ankle injury, during which he had missed three games. Taylor emphasized the importance of the team rallying behind Richardson to foster their offensive development.
“We just have to let him know… we have your back,” declared Taylor. “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.”