Anthony Richardson can't be successful unless the offense steps up

The Indianapolis Colts will face the Tennessee Titans, a divisional rival, on Sunday at home in a game that must be won if the Colts want even the slightest prayer of making the playoffs. Their chances are rather slim as it is, having lost to the Denver Broncos last Sunday, and they're even smaller now that the Broncos have, in turn, lost to the Los Angeles Chargers.

In order for the Colts to make the playoffs, the Chargers need to lose at least one game, while the Colts must lose all of their three upcoming matches... and while the three opponents the Colts are facing are not very good teams, the Chargers only have the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders left, too.

So a win this week is absolutely necessary for the Colts, and judging by the performance this past week, the offense is the biggest problem. And while Anthony Richardson did not perform well against the Broncos - especially in the second half - the problem isn't necessarily him.

The offense is failing him

Against the Broncos, Richardson looked abysmal, going by the numbers. His quarterback rating was a horrifying 32.1, he was sacked twice, and had two interceptions. But the issue is much larger than just Richardson alone.

Every Colts fan knows he was benched earlier this season; since then, he has demonstrably improved. His splits from Pro Football Focus before and after the benching make that much clear:

Meanwhile, Richardson's improvement comes in spite of the utter failure of everyone around him on offense.

His wide receivers and tight ends are dropping balls left and right; the offensive line is banged up and completely ineffective.

Currently, Richardson is affected by drops more than any other quarterback in the NFL.

Then there's the issue of the offensive line. Richardson comes under pressure constantly, and that is seriously affecting his ability to perform. According to Pro Football Focus, he has the seventh-largest difference among NFL quarterbacks operating in a clean pocket vs. one under pressure.

Richardson is known for his near-insane ability to fight off sacks, which was on display against the Broncos; throughout the game, on numerous occasions, he escaped numerous attempts, including by more than one defender at a time. But even he couldn't hold up against the tidal wave of pressure coming for him, with the offensive line doing very little to give him protection.

And when the pocket is kept clean, the difference is staggering.

Richardson actually looks like a good QB.

The Colts offensive line started the season as an elite squad that was easily one of the best in the league. Injuries have caused the line to crumble, and they now have one of the highest pressure rates in the NFL.

There is no doubting that Anthony Richardson has a lot of growing and developing to do. However, he's being forced to do so without a reliable team around him; how could he possibly be successful under those circumstances?

Fans have understandably had strong reactions to Richardson this season. But the stats make it clear that the problem is much bigger than just one person. Richardson is supposed to be the future of the Colts franchise - and that will never happen without better performances from the rest of the offense.