Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson officially has some NFL action under his belt. Sure, it might be just three series for the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, but all experience is important for the young quarterback right now.
In those three series, Richardson completed 7-of-12 passes for 67 yards and one interception. He also added seven yards on the ground in two carries. The highlight of the day for Richardson was a play that wasn’t a highlight at all. He threw a beautiful deep ball to Alec Pierce, but the second-year receiver had the ball dislodged by the ground, turning what should’ve been a big play into an incomplete pass.
Of course, there were a ton of reactions to Richardson’s first action. Fans and media members shared their thoughts on the rookie’s performance. However, the only thoughts that really matter are the ones of head coach Shane Steichen. Steichen joined the party, publicly sharing his thoughts on Richardson’s debut.
Immediately following the game, Steichen used the word poise to describe Richardson, saying, “I thought he had great poise. I knew we had the early interception… Other than that, I thought he was efficient.”
#Colts HC Shane Steichen on Anthony Richardson:
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 13, 2023
“Similar to what I said after the game, you know what I really liked is the poise he had, the command he had. You throw an early interception. How's he going to respond to that? I thought he responded tremendously.”
Shane Steichen loved Anthony Richardson’s poise
On Sunday, Steichen doubled down on that stance, saying that he really liked how Richardson reacted to the interception. Being poise and having the ability to move on is a great trait. Obviously, you’d rather not have an interception, but this is the NFL, and bad things are going to happen. It’s all about how a person, and team, follows up the bad thing.
Richardson did a great job, not having any more mistakes that were as costly, and also engineering a 14-play, 83-yard drive two series later— a drive that should’ve resulted in points, if not for a missed 28-yard field goal. Regardless, Richardson gave fans and Steichen reason to be excited on Saturday.
Now, the question is if Steichen was impressed enough to make Richardson the team’s starter. With two preseason games left, and just under a month until Week 1, Steichen doesn’t have to make that decision anytime soon. However, if Richardson can build off of what he displayed against the Bills, there’s a good chance that he’ll start Week 1.