In his first start since October, Anthony Richardson exceeded expectations and led the Indianapolis Colts to an upset victory against the New York Jets. Richardson was not only the driving force behind the win, but he also demonstrated significant improvement from his early-season struggles. While it's only been one week, Richardson appears to have made impressive strides en route to playing arguably the best game of his career. The second-year QB’s Week 11 performance finally showed signs of progress — let’s take a closer look.
Passing accuracy
Richardson’s chronically bad accuracy (52.2% career completion rate) has been his most glaring weakness since entering the league. However, Richardson threw the ball with a surprisingly high level of precision on Sunday. He connected on 66.7% of his passes against one of the best secondaries in the NFL, while throwing a season-high 20 completions on 30 attempts.
The tape was even more impressive than the stats. Richardson’s arm talent was on full display as he spread the ball all around the field with short, medium, and long-range strikes. His career-high 272 passing yards is more than any QB has managed against the Jets this season — and that list includes C.J. Stroud and Josh Allen.
Decision-making
In addition to accuracy concerns, Richardson’s decision-making ability has been repeatedly questioned. Turnovers, irresponsible plays, and unforced errors are common pitfalls in his game. Richardson was much-improved in this area, avoiding any interception-worthy throws or unnecessary sacks and reading the New York defense expertly. It wasn’t a perfect performance whatsoever (cough 2 fumbles cough), but Richardson’s development in such a short period of time is promising.
Smart running
No one has ever doubted Richardson’s running ability and, on paper, his rushing numbers against New York (32 yards on 10 carries) weren’t all that special. But Richardson proved on Sunday that where, when, and how you run make a huge difference. The Colts called plenty of designed runs for Richardson where he could really focus and showcase his strength and speed. Beyond the game plan, Richardson demonstrated better awareness, running mainly behind blockers and taking on defenders only when needed. A combination of improved playcalling and execution led to 2 Richardson touchdowns on the ground.
Clutch playmaking
Every franchise QB needs to have the ‘clutch gene’ — the ability to perform well when your team needs you the most. Richardson had yet to express that particular trait, frequently buckling under pressure late in games, but that changed this past weekend. With less than three minutes remaining, in hostile territory, and playing as the underdogs, Richardson led Indianapolis on a sensational 70-yard drive and ran in the final touchdown himself to take the lead. The 22-year-old QB was poised and clinical as he capped off the first fourth-quarter comeback and game-winning touchdown drive of his young career.
Pre-game preparation
While Richardson’s benching shocked the fanbase, reports suggest that the decision was a much-needed wake-up call for the youngest starting QB in the league. In the lead-up to the Jets game, Richardson took his training more seriously, including early morning starts, additional time dedicated to film study and game planning, as well as extra attention to detail. This is the level of effort required for an NFL signal-caller. Most importantly, those off-the-field adjustments translated to in-game results on Sunday.