Tag: Anthony Richardson

Since his return to the starting lineup in Week 11, the Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson has been among the more pressured quarterbacks in football over that stretch.

During that five-game span, Richardson has been pressured on 43.8% of his dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. This is the third-highest rate out of 36 eligible quarterbacks, and if we remove Sam Howell, who has just 19 dropbacks, and Drew Lock with his 43 dropbacks, Richardson sits at the top of that list.

Richardson hasn’t been lights out when playing from a clean pocket, but the difference for him when under pressure versus when he has time is staggering.

When facing pressure, Richardson’s completion rate is just 37.8% while averaging 4.8 yards per attempt with one touchdown and three interceptions. But from a clean pocket, his completion rate is at 57% with 6.9 yards per attempt and two touchdowns to one interception since Week 11.

In fact, Richardson has the seventh-largest difference in PFF’s passing grade when operating from a clean pocket versus a muddy one.

Pressure in general, but particularly for a young quarterback, can be quite devastating as it disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play, forcing the quarterback to speed up their process, which can lead to poor mechanics and mistakes.

The offensive line was an expected strength for the Colts this year and things did start off that way early in the season, but constant injuries have disrupted that continuity and forced the Colts to rely on rookies.

The Colts’ offensive line will enter Week 16 allowing the seventh-highest pressure rate this season, according to Pro Football Reference. If it wasn’t for Richardson’s elite ability to avoid sacks, they would likely rank near the bottom of the NFL in that category as well.

The offensive line’s play certainly isn’t the only issue that the Colts’ offense faces right now. When struggling as often as they have, it’s everyone and everything, to varying degrees.

However, having said that, while success for the Colts begins will being able to move the ball on the ground, if there is going to be any chance of finding consistency through the air, Richardson will need more time in the pocket.

Since returning to the Indianapolis Colts’ staring lineup, Anthony Richardson’s play has greatly improved, including on the short, lay-up-like throws that need to be taken advantage of.

As noted by Zach Hicks of SI’s Horseshoe Huddle, prior to Week 11 on pass attempts under 10 air yards, Richardson had completed 64.9% of his 57 passes for 326 yards with three interceptions.

However, in the three games since he’s returned, Richardson is completing 78 percent of those 37 short-yardage throws for 231 yards with three touchdowns.

“I’ve seen great growth in a lot of phases,” said Shane Steichen on Monday. “His pocket presence has been really strong the last couple weeks. He’s delivering the ball where it needs to go. He’s making a ton of plays with his legs, which is great, and we’ve just got to continue that these next four weeks, for sure.”

The difference in yards per attempt between the two samples is relatively small with Richardson averaging 5.7 yards in the first sample compared to 6.2 yards in the second.

But the obvious difference, and the most important, is that he’s taking care of the football on these throws and is much more efficient.

Behind any success or failures in the game of football, there are often many factors in play. But the increased success from Richardson on these short-area throws likely stems from his improved command of the offense over the last three games, often playing within the rhythm and structure of the play.

This then leads to improved footwork and therefore mechanics, resulting in better accuracy, along with getting the ball out on time and knowing where his outlet options are if the downfield routes aren’t available.

Even through the ups and downs that the passing game had through the first half of the season, before Richardson was benched, the Colts’ offense was one of the better teams at generating explosive pass plays.

However, lacking was their efficiency on these short to intermediate passes, which put the offense behind the sticks and frequently resulted in short possessions and quick punts.

Improved efficiency on these throws will help provide the opposite of what was just described, by helping the offense stay in manageable down-and-distances by generating positive plays, hopefully leading to longer, more successful drives.

In an interview with The Athletic’s Jim Trotter, Indianapolis Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard acknowledged if he could do things differently, the team would have sat Anthony Richardson as a rookie to let him develop.

“Looking back on it, I wish we hadn’t played him as a rookie,” Ballard said via The Athletic. “John Dorsey (a longtime personnel man) called me and said, ‘Don’t play him.’ John had had the great wisdom from Green Bay, where they sat all those quarterbacks. And as they mature and get older, they pick up habits that we were expecting Anthony to have from the get-go.”

The Colts selected Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Florida. Richardson came to the NFL as an uber-talented but raw and inexperienced prospect, having started only 13 collegiate games.

However, obviously knowing this, the Colts prepared themselves for the growing pains that were to come and were planning to navigate that learning curve through on-field reps rather than learning as a backup.

Slowing Richardson’s development was a season-ending shoulder injury that limited him to only four games as a rookie.

Ballard’s hindsight on this situation is likely stemming from the decision to bench Richardson following the team’s Week 8 loss to Houston. While on the field Richardson struggled through the first half of the season, what the Colts really wanted to hone in on was his day-to-day preparation, which they felt wasn’t up to the standard of what’s needed to be a successful NFL quarterback.

Presumably, by sitting as a rookie, Richardson could have learned and instilled those habits before moving into the full-time starting role, potentially resulting in a smoother transition for him from college to the NFL.

While the two games that he sat out certainly isn’t a season’s worth of time, even taking that relatively minor step back has paid massive dividends for Richardson and the Colts’ offense.

Since returning to the starting lineup, Richardson has seemingly improved in all facets, most notably displaying a greater command of the offense and operating within the timing and rhythm of the play-call, leading to better, more steady play from him, which includes leading two fourth quarter comebacks in three games.