The Indianapolis Colts secured an important victory over the New England Patriots last weekend, keeping them in the race for the AFC South. The outstanding performance once again from QB Anthony Richardson led many to praise the player, including his head coach, Shane Steichen.
After defeating Jerod Mayo’s team 25-24 in Foxborough, the Colts secured their sixth win of the season, putting them back in the race in their division, just behind the Houston Texans.
Slowly, Anthony Richardson has been taking ownership of the team, leading his teammates to solid performances in recent weeks. Regarding this situation, it was the Indianapolis head coach who made something clear about his QB.
“It’s huge growth,” Steichen stated. “Anytime you’ve got a young player that can lead your team down to a touchdown, game-winning touchdown, in this league, it comes down to a lot of those in this league, and that’s huge growth. It’s huge growth, that’s huge confidence for him. Huge confidence for our team that he can get those things done. Fourth-down situations, got to have it. Put the ball in his hands again on some outside zone stuff. Just a phenomenal effort by him today.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws during a game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts on December 1, 2024, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Indianapolis will be able to recover several players with the upcoming Bye Week in Week 14. Upon their return, the Colts will face the Broncos in Denver.
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Steichen praises Richardson’s resilience
Richardson’s performance fluctuated not only throughout the season but also specifically in the matchup against the Patriots. The QB threw two interceptions, and despite these setbacks, he was able to overcome them and lead his team to victory.
“Great resilience,” Steichen said about his QB. “The first interception he had, it was a hell of a play by the guy. He jumped up and tipped it. The next one, the guy just undercut the route. You know what I mean? So you learn from those. Like I said, it wasn’t like, dramatic. I’m not even concerned about that whatsoever. I thought he played his tail off. He really did.”
Additionally, Steichen made it clear about the moments when Richardson has stepped up to close out games: “I think it’s big any time you can have two touchdown game-winning drives in three weeks for a young quarterback is huge,
“The way that he can avoid the pressure and avoid the sacks is big time. You don’t want to get yourselves behind the chains. He does a hell of a job of getting out of those pressure looks and creating… That part has been tremendous, and we’ve got to keep that part going.”
What’s next for the Indianapolis Colts?
- Bye Week
- vs Denver Broncos, December 15th
- vs Tennessee Titans, December 22nd
- vs New York Giants, December 29th
- vs Jacksonville Jaguars, January 5th
