3 keys to victory for the Colts against the Texans in Week 2
2. Let Anthony Richardson throw it deep
Giving a rookie quarterback the opportunity to launch the rock builds incredible amounts of confidence, and the Colts need to let Richardson display his cannon. The fourth-overall pick showed his arm strength in training camp and college, and once hit the roof of the practice facility while throwing a deep ball during the Florida pro day.
Anthony Richardson's passing chart from his first game. It's very heavy on the right side of the field and nothing over 20 yards.
— Cody Manning (@CodyTalksNFL) September 11, 2023
His interception came on one of his limited throws to the left side of the field. pic.twitter.com/BhlKyIFTmi
Indianapolis ran a half-field passing offense against the Jaguars, with the majority of Richardson's throws and completions coming from the right side of the field. Additionally, the Colts quarterback never attempted a pass over 20 air yards, showing how limited they kept the play calls.
Head Coach Shane Steichen game planned around keeping Richardson calm and composed during the game, but it may be time to give him a little bit to play around with. The entire reason we drafted a project quarterback is to let him learn, and letting him throw deep is the perfect way for him to learn to read a safety's eyes.
The Colts hardly used 2022 second-round pick Alec Pierce last week even though he was drafted to be a deep threat for Indianapolis. Pierce showcased his ability throughout camp, but the practice throws haven't correlated to a real game (at least not yet). If the two can learn each other's playstyles, fans could see plenty of deep passes sent towards Pierce in the upcoming games.