Despite Richardson’s Struggles, Colts Shouldn’t Consider Flacco
Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
The Indianapolis Colts got their first win of the 2024 season in an ugly win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The game featured two young quarterbacks, Anthony Richardson of the Colts and Caleb Williams of the Bears, who are both experiencing their share of struggles. Both threw two interceptions in the contest, and neither ever seemed truly comfortable operating their respective passing attacks.
Richardson especially looked shaky. His first interception was a horrible decision, forcing a throw with a defender in his face on the goal line. The ball fluttered and was easily intercepted. The second featured a reoccurring theme for Richardson in 2024; overthrowing a receiver by a country mile. The final line for Richardson: 10-of-20 passing, 167 yards and two interceptions, with 24 yards added on the ground.
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This obviously was not a good game for Richardson, and if they had been playing anyone other than the Bears, who were just as bad if not worse on offense. Beyond the interceptions, there were multiple easy passes that Richardson completely missed. It got bad enough that some openly started to pine for backup Joe Flacco.
There’s no denying that Richardson was bad against Chicago, and that for the most part, the lows have far outweighed the highs to begin 2024. It’s impossible to say right now if Richardson will ever get his mechanics and accuracy fixed, or if he will ever be a viable quarterback in the league. Most would probably lean towards the negative on that, especially after Sunday’s showing.
It would be organizational malpractice however to bench Richardson for Flacco, especially this early in the season. If the Colts are ever going to figure out what Richardson is, they need him to play. That was always going to be the case with him; he’s a project. The upside is so enticing, but he is far from a finished product, That’s the risk the Colts took when they drafted Richardson. It’s too late to back out now; they’ve invested too much.
Flacco might win you more games this year, but the ultimate goal for every team is the Super Bowl, and the Colts aren’t winning any of those with Flacco at the helm. Richardson could be the guy to take them there, or he could not be. The Colts need to figure that out, and the only way to do that is to let him play. Anything else, and the team is just treading water, which gets you nowhere, fast.
During the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, Stephen Holder of ESPN joined the show and shared his thoughts on how Richardson has played so far. Listen to that conversation below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
Despite Richardson’s Struggles, Colts Shouldn’t Consider Flacco was originally published on 1075thefan.com
