The young man stepped up in a big way to deliver the win.
Things were starting to unravel for the Indianapolis Colts on the road against the New England Patriots. After allowing a touchdown and two-point conversion, the Colts found themselves down seven needing something positive. An interception on the next drive was the exact opposite of what they needed, but the much maligned defense that had struggled for most of the afternoon came up with a crucial three and out which forced the Patriots to punt the ball back to the Colts with less than six minutes remaining in the contest. The events that followed showed that Anthony Richardson might have something that can’t be taught: the clutch gene.
From their own twenty-yard line, Richardson led a nineteen play drive. That is not a typo. A nineteen play drive. That is something I am not sure we have seen out of this team all season, but when they needed it most, Richardson delivered. It is a good thing Richardson was on his “A” game because his teammates weren’t doing a lot to help him out. Key drops by A.D. Mitchell and Kylen Granson did the Colts no favors. Luckily, on the first fourth down conversion, Mo Alie-Cox was able to secure the catch for a monster 11-yard gain. That kept hope alive from mid-field, but the Colts needed a touchdown.
Fast-forward and the Colts were faced with another fourth down. This time, Richardson kept it himself and ran for 6-yards on fourth and two. A pass interference penalty helped the Colts avoid yet another fourth down and kept the sticks moving deep into Patriots’ territory. As the Colts reached the goal line, the drive stalled. The offense was forced into one final fourth down conversion in which Richardson hit Alec Pierce to bring the team to within one. A tie wasn’t on the mind of Shane Steichen, however, as he put his ultimate trust in Richardson to win it. A designed quarterback run up the middle was the perfect call as Richardson plowed into the endzone for two.
What we saw on that last drive was a masterclass from Anthony Richardson. While he didn’t do it alone, he didn’t get a lot of assistance from his teammates either. Already down two receivers, the players on the field needed to step up. Some didn’t, but one did for sure, especially when it mattered most. Couple this with the game winning drive against the New York Jets and we may have something special. There is still room for improvement, but on that drive, Richardson was complete clutch perfection.
