A few of the NFL analysts over at CBS Sports expect Colts’ second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson to exceed expectations this season.
Recently, CBS Sports’ NFL analysts each chose which quarterbacks they believe will exceed expectations this season and which will underperform. Shanna McCarriston and Jared Dubin each exepct Richardson to perform well this season and have different reasons for believing that.
McCarriston notes that, while 2023 was a small sample size from Richardson, she liked what he showcased and the growth he was able to experience. McCarriston also mentions the importance of the Colts’ putting playmaking around Richardson by extending Michael Pittman and drafting Adonai Mitchell.
Mitchell’s speed and overall explosiveness brings a new element to the Colts’ offense, and he’s someone who has the ability to win at all levels of the field, which can not only create opportunities for himself, but for others in the passing game as well with attention he draws and the spacing he opens up.
“You bring in AD and he’s very talented,” said Michael Pittman. “Everything he does is so natural. I think he brings something extra that we didn’t have before. I’m learning stuff from him that I didn’t know before.
“Just the way he moves and the way he sets up moves. I think he’s elevating everybody. He’s all about football. We are always talking about concepts, routes, releases, set up moves. He’s all ball 24/7.”
On top of that, I’ll add that after a very productive rookie season, Josh Downs is a prime candidate to make a big jump his second year in the NFL, along with Jonathan Taylor being fully healthy. Taylor and Richardson would share the field for only two snaps last season, but in Shane Steichen’s RPO-heavy offense, the duo has the ability to really stress defenses horizontally.
“To have Anthony and JT back there,” said offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, “JT has an extensive history with a lot of success, leading the league in rushing. Now we’ve got Anthony, where a defense, gosh, there may be that mesh on a run play and it’s JT going left and it’s Anthony going right, and as a defense, how do you defend that?
“You have two really explosive players that maybe have a chance to end up with the ball on a run play, how do you defend all that? It is exciting.”
Dubin believes a key factor behind Richardson outperforming expectations this season is having Shane Steichen as the head coach and play-caller. Dubin points out that Steichen was the Chargers’ QB coach during Justin Herbert’s rookie season, he was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator during Jalen Hurts’ MVP push, and the Colts’ offense ranked 13th in DVOA in 2023 with Gardner Minshew leading the way.
Although Richardson only had 98 dropbacks last season, I’ll add that the continuity of being in the same offensive system for a full year and knowing the ins and outs of it can also be a catalyst for improved play.
The key takeaway from all of this is that while Richardson is extremely talented and has a sky-high ceiling, he doesn’t have to do it all on his own either–and no one mentioned the fact that the help around Richardson will include playing behind what should be a top tier offensive line unit as well.
Success on the ground puts the offense in short down-and-distance situations, opening up the playbook for Steichen and opportunities in the passing game, forcing the defense to defend the entire field. And we all know how important having time in the pocket is for any quarterback.
With Richardson still being a relatively inexperienced player, odds are there will still be some growing pains this season, but to what extent remains to be seen. However, because of the help that he has around him, the learning curve is hopefully shorter with fewer ups and downs because he won’t have to consistently be the only one shouldering that playmaking burden.