Anthony Richardson a Mixed Bag in Debut Loss to Jaguars
It took about four months of imagination and prognostication, but observers finally got to see Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson make his regular-season debut on Sunday at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In front of a sold-out Lucas Oil Stadium crowd, the much-anticipated performance yielded a mix of both good and bad, but an overall underwhelming result in the 31-21 loss.
"We didn't win, so I didn't do good enough," Richardson reflected after the game, adding that he did have fun, regardless.
Richardson was hardly the issue for a depleted Colts offense that was forced down to two running backs and tight ends each due to injury, but there were some missed throws and a late-game interception on crucial downs on his part that failed to help the cause.
There was also a scary moment late in the game with about a minute left when Richardson was taken down by a group of Jaguars defenders and stayed down on the field while being looked at by trainers for a couple of minutes afterward. Richardson wouldn't return to finish the final drive but he later commented that he would ice his left knee and it would be fine.
"Overall, his performance was good," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said of Richardson's performance. "Probably some things to clean up, but I thought he did a nice job."
Overall, the Colts were 2-of-12 on third down (16.7%) and 1-of-5 on fourth down (20.0%), which obviously made it difficult to sustain drives and score points, but when they did get into the red zone, they converted just once out of three trips. Starting running back Deon Jackson also had two fumbles that killed potentially fruitful drives.
On the day, Richardson was 24-of-37 passing (64.9%) for 223 yards (6.0 YPA), 1 touchdown, and 1 interception for a passer rating of 79.0.
Steichen's offense will open up for Richardson in the coming weeks, but it was a conservative approach throughout much of the game.
The vast majority of Richardson's 37 throws were short and within the sticks, as he took no deep shots and only a few downfield throws. Much of that was likely due to Jacksonville's defensive coverages but Steichen may have also been trying to keep things simple for his rookie quarterback in Week 1.
Richardson did contribute heavily in the run game, carrying the ball 10 times for a team-leading 40 yards and his first career touchdown. The Colts were able to get him some designed runs as well, which resulted in the score.
Along with his ability to create in the run game, which hasn't been a common trait for Colts quarterbacks in recent years, Richardson can also make some special things happen with his arm, successfully converting a left-handed throw while being brought down to the ground.
Up next, Richardson and the Colts hit the road to take on fellow rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in Week 2.
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