Shane Steichen let Anthony Richardson and the Colts' offense down in their Week 8 loss to the Texans
The Indianapolis Colts had multiple chances to win against the Houston Texans in Week 8, but they ultimately fell short. The trend online is to blame second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for this loss, but I didn't see it that way at all. Shane Steichen's poor play-calling let Anthony Richardson and the Colts' offense down The Colts' […]
The Indianapolis Colts had multiple chances to win against the Houston Texans in Week 8, but they ultimately fell short.
The trend online is to blame second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for this loss, but I didn't see it that way at all.
Shane Steichen's poor play-calling let Anthony Richardson and the Colts' offense down
The Colts' offense had its fair share of big plays in this game, but their overall game plan was majorly flawed. With Jonathan Taylor back in the lineup, a more balanced approach was expected. However,t the passing game was still their go-to approach on offense, and it truly doesn't make sense to me.
Taylor ended this game with 20 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry, and a big second half got him past the century mark. The problem here is the Colts didn't let the run game be their focal point today, when it was their best route to winning this football game. Whether the ball was in Anthony Richardson's or Taylor's hand, both players had great success. Richardson ended the day with 45 yards on six carries, an average of 7.5 yards per carry.
Instead, we saw Richardson attempt passes on the days in what looked like a trial-by-fire method. It seems that the Colts are leaning more into the passing game than they should to try and get Richardson into a rhythm as a passer and give him enough opportunity to make the big plays he has had success with. Instead, the team isn't giving him enough support to sustain long drives on offense. They are asking a young QB battling through struggles to be superman, and that is flat out insane.
DeForest Buckner showed he is still an elite DT in the NFL
The Colts didn't only get Taylor back on the field this week; star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner made his return after a five-week absence as well. He also explained why he is viewed as one of the best DTs in the NFL. He was in quarterback CJ Stroud's face throughout the game and ended it with a sack. We will have to wait and see how many QB hits he had in total, but while watching the game, my guess is that he had at least five. Buckner will only get better as he continues to play and put that injury further and further into the past, but it was good to see number 99 out there making plays again for the Colts.
Should the Colts bench Anthony Richardson?
The "bench Anthony Richardson" crowd was louder than ever after seeing the Colts QB complete only two of his 15 pass attempts in the first half. However, context is key to most conversations, and this one is no different.
For example, I charted every single pass by Richardson this week; it's something I decided to add to my game-day coverage this season. In the first half, I charted three drops by Colts' pass catchers, three pass deflections, and one throw where the receiver didn't drag his second foot (Adonai Mitchell in the second quarter). I also credited the Texans' defense with three pass deflections where the pass was right on the money. Have all those accurate passes go the Colts' way, and Richardson is 9/15 with two touchdown passes in the first half.
He ended the game with 10/32, 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His worst play of the day was the interception that happened at the end of the first half, which was an awful decision and a bad ball. I charted two additional drops for the Colts in the second half. One would have been a touchdown, but it went through RB Tyler Goodson's hands. My answer to the question, "Should the Colts bench Anthony Richardson?" is simple: no, I don't believe they should. I think he was good enough today to win this football game, but the drops and a poor game plan sank the offense. If he is healthy, Richardson has to be the Colts starter this season, and I'd go as far as to say next season as well.
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