The Week 4 NFL match between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers had an unexpected protagonist. With Anthony Richardson ruled out due to injury, Joe Flacco stepped in at quarterback, leading the team to a surprising victory and ending the Steelers’ unbeaten run.
A 39-year-old Flacco turned out to be a serious headache for the Steelers defense. In a post-match interview with CBS, he was asked if he ever ages, and the QB didn’t miss the chance to talk about the fans: “Believe me, yeah, I do (age). Listen, when you’re out here, this environment, no, you feel like you’re 12 years old.
“This is a little bit of a different experience. It’s not the best, not the most ideal when you’re dragged onto the field, obviously, when your guy goes down (Anthony Richardson). But, every chance you get a chance to go out there it’s a blessing and I’m definitely very fortunate for it,” added Joe Flacco.
When asked about the team performance and chemistry, Flacco preffered to stay humble: “I don’t know if everything was clicking super well but we did enough. We were able to rely on some underneath stuff by Josh Downs today, to kind of get our first downs. You just gotta rely on your guys, and trust the play call and everything else takes care of itself.”
The interviewer also mentioned a confession from Richardson, highlighting that Flacco was ‘cooler than he thought before.’ The QB answered with a smile on his face: “He told me his mom is 8 days older than I am, so there’s no chance in the world that he thinks I’m cool“
Joe Flaco stats agains Steelers
In a tight 27-24 score, Joe Flaco was one of the key players to turn the tables and secure the victory for the locals. Coming in for the injured Anthony Richardson in the 2nd quarter, Flacco pulled of 16 passes out of 26 attempts, with 168 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 106 QB Rating off the bench.
What happened to Anthony Richardson?
Anthony Richardson, who missed most of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, was forced to head to the Colts’ locker room with hip issues after taking a hard hit in the 1st quarter.
The young QB was replaced by Joe Flacco for two plays before returning to the field. However, Richardson managed to complete only one play before being ruled out with a hip injury, leaving Flacco to take over for the remainder of the match. The severity of the injury has yet to be revealed.