Colts loss to Detroit Lions make it clear: Anthony Richardson was never the problem

The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Detroit Lions Sunday, a result most people expected, given that the Lions are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best. However, this was a match the Colts could have potentially won. That sentiment was further confirmed after the actual game; the Lions outplayed the Colts, but the Colts also blew every opportunity they had, over and over again. From missed passes to needless penalties, Indianapolis seemed intent on blowing their chances.

Much of the talk surrounding the Colts lately has been about quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched for two weeks, and then renamed QB1; his first week back, he had the best game of his short career against the New York Jets. Fans were eager to see if he would continue his positive momentum, or revert to previous form, with accuracy issues and interceptions.

On the surface, it seems that Richardson didn't play well Sunday. He finished 11-for-28 for 172 yards - but the stats are beyond misleading. The reality is that Richardson did perform... but was completely and utterly let down at every turn by an incompetent Indianapolis team. And that indicates that there are much bigger problems than an occasional bad pass from the league's youngest quarterback.

One thing Richardson has been applauded for is his athleticism, which is all the more notable due to his size. Those two things together mean he's incredibly hard for defenders to take him down; Sunday, the Lions pressured him constantly (more on that later), and recorded six quarterback hits... and no sacks. That's on Richardson, who was able to escape and get the ball away.

The problem? His receivers aren't getting open. The running backs far too often can't make a catch, and the tight ends - as seen by Drew Ogletree's egregious drop in the end zone - are practically worthless. Over 11 weeks, the entire group of tight ends had just five multiple catch games. And they aren't blocking well, either - which has become an overall issue with a once-great offensive line that's been decimated by injuries.

Jonathan Taylor, who is a fantastic running back, can't make great runs because the offensive line isn't giving him lanes to run in. On top of that, half of the penalties Sunday came from the o-line, with Quenton Nelson the worst offender of the bunch.

How bad were the penalties, by the way? The Colts had plays for 19, 21, 22 and 30 yards all wiped out because of them. When they weren't taking yards away, they were pushing Richardson into situations that were near-impossible to come back from, especially considering how poorly the rest of the team was performing.

And the coaching isn't helping; head coach Shane Steichen called an offense against the Jets that played to both Richardson's and Taylor's strengths. In the first quarter, it seemed he was doing the same, but as the Lions began to pull further and further ahead, Steichen seemed to panic more and more, pushing Richardson into attempting deep passes from the pocket in what seemed to be a ploy to get quick points on the board. Taylor, his star running back? Steichen only called one play for him in the entire second half.

Altogether, there is no chance that the Colts will be successful through the rest of this season, or in the long term, if they don't fix these major issues. Richardson is growing; he's taking the steps to be a great QB, and it seems even more likely that he will be a generational talent. But the Colts are not growing with him.