Stampede Blue
The second-year QB needed to take a step back and has since taken two steps forward with the help of his natural ability to rush the ball and avoid taking sacks.
Anthony Richardson struggled to find consistency prior to his infamous benching that followed a Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans. Fast-forward to three games after his elevation, Colts head coach Shane Steichen is utilizing Richardson in ways that have, in turn, helped instill a newfound confidence in the young quarterback.
Before he was benched, Anthony Richardson was looking a bit lost, especially when he’d drop back and become a passer. Through his first six starts of his sophomore campaign in the NFL, Richardson posted a 44.4 completion percentage to pair with a 4:7 TD-INT ratio.
Through his first ten starts in the NFL (four starts in ‘23, six starts prior to benching in ‘24), Richardson was among the likes of Jamarcus Russell, Akili Smith, and Ryan Leaf as his completion rate (50%) at the time ranked 222nd among the 225 QBs with 250+ dropbacks since the year 2000.
Richardson’s rocky start to the 2024 season wasn’t solely passing-based; his rushing production was uncharacteristically inefficient, though he was ramping up a bit in this area before he was ultimately benched.
According to Pro Football Focus, Anthony Richardson was the NFL’s 30th-graded passer (49.5) and the worst-graded rusher (49.9) among qualifying quarterbacks with 10+ rushing attempts through the first eight weeks and his first six starts of the season.
He may have been 7th among quarterbacks in rushing yards through the season’s first eight weeks, but Richardson’s one rushing touchdown and four fumbles briefly paint the picture of his inefficiency on the ground during that stretch.
Most notable of Richardson’s inconsistency on the ground to begin the year was that of his production and/or attempts, or lack thereof, on designed runs. Before the benching, Richardson gained 78 rushing yards on 22 designed runs (3.5 yards per carry), whereas after the elevation, and in admittedly half the games, he has gained 125 rushing yards on 17 designed runs (7.6 yards per carry).
While Richardson’s (and Steichen’s) reclamation of the QB run game has certainly played a big part in a strong stretch of starts following his elevation, Richardson’s legs have also helped him instill confidence into himself as a passer, or as he would say, “it opens up the offense a little bit more because the defense has to play both sides of the ball.”
Richardson still has just a 52.4 completion percentage since he returned as the Colts’ starting quarterback, but he’s seemingly started to settle down. Not to mention his league-leading 14% drop rate from his passcatchers, which ultimately contributes to his completion percentage. Richardson has a 3:3 TD-INT ratio but has mounted two game-winning drives in the last three weeks, showing great poise and command of the offense.
Slowly but surely, Anthony Richardson is starting to put it all together. Since his return from the benching, Richardson is...
