Social media movement to 'free Anthony Richardson' adds another layer to Colts' mess

The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, in a humiliating performance from the Colts offense. That failure is particularly stark, as the Vikings game was the first following head coach Shane Steichen's decision to bench Anthony Richardson in favor of Joe Flacco.

Steichen argued that Flacco gave the Colts a better chance at winning, but the Colts not only lost, but were given a pitiful performance from the veteran QB. Steichen's decision to bench Richardson for Flacco had already been slammed by NFL experts and analysts, but for fans, reactions were more mixed. Some agreed with Steichen, wanting to see the Colts win now. Others either thought Richardson needed more development, or were irritated by the ongoing problems at quarterback the Colts have faced since Andrew Luck's retirement.

Regardless of where Colts fans fell before, after Sunday's game, the hashtag #FreeAR5 quickly began to trend.

It's hard to say if Flacco simply didn't want the win, but given Richardson's ability to escape sacks and his ability to run, it does seem likely that the offense would have been more productive with him under center.

Other fans argued that the problem in all of this lies with neither quarterback, but in the people running the show behind the scenes.

Could Steichen choose to bring Richardson back after just one week? It seems unlikely, but it's also what fans want.

Most experts shook their heads at Steichen's claim that Flacco gave them the best chance of success, as regardless of who they choose to be QB, the Colts are simply not Super Bowl contenders this year. And Flacco's lackluster performance made Steichen's justification for benching Anthony Richardson seem even more ridiculous - as fans have said.

Under Flacco, the Colts offense scored exactly zero points. Matt Gay kicked two field goals, and the defense turned one turnover into a touchdown, but... Flacco scored nothing. Ouch.

Ultimately, Steichen is seemingly getting raked over the coals by fans. The decision to bench Richardson was already an unpopular one, and the mindset going into Sunday's game was that the Colts had to win so they could prove starting Flacco was worth it. Yet the Colts not only lost, but they lost badly, with a terrible showing from their new starter.

Steichen made a very poor decision in starting Flacco. It's not too late to fix it.