Embrace the strength.
The Indianapolis Colts knew what they were getting when they drafted Anthony Richardson; a dynamic, highly athletic player who needed some polish. Although we haven’t seen nearly the same level of play, mainly due to injuries, Richardson brings shades of Michael Vick. He is a quarterback first, but he is never going to wow you with his passing ability from the pocket. Just because Vick wasn’t a pure passer, it doesn’t mean he didn’t have what it took to be successful. The Colts are at a crossroads with Richardson: do they focus efforts into him being the best passer he can be, or do they pivot and lean into his ability to run wild on a defense?
Look, Richardson has to be able to throw the ball. That is understood. His completion percentage of 47.7% isn’t going to cut it. He has to improve that for sure, but by how much? If he can raise that bar to 53% and change other aspects of his of game to produce winning results, will that be enough? If so, how much focus should the coaching staff for the Colts put on raising it? Shane Steichen wasn’t all in on making Richardson a running quarterback. We saw more of that last year at times, but it wasn’t always the focus. Injuries have been a concern for the young man, so limiting his exposure to hits makes sense. On the other hand, he was drafted because he is a freak athlete, not because he throws lasers from the pocket. Failing to utilize his big frame and powerful legs is a disservice to Richardson and the organization. If you have the horse, you have to let it run.
Because of that, it seems to make the most sense to maximize Richardson’s running ability. Design plays for him to take off. It will keep defenses off balance by not knowing who to honor in the running game between Jonathan Taylor and Richardson while also allowing the duel threat of passing or running at any moment. His skills are athleticism, speed, and escapability, not dropping dimes and fitting precision passes into tight windows. Teach Richardson to be smart. Get out of bounds, slide, avoid the big hit, don’t lead with your shoulder and head, don’t seek out the contact, live to play another down, etc. Those are all things the coaching staff can instill to make him the best runner he can be. Maximize the God given talent. Don’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole.
At the end of the day, Anthony Richardson must improve as a passing quarterback. Those numbers have to be better, or he will never make it in this league. That is the challenge, but the silver lining is that those numbers don’t have to improve dramatically. Raise the completion percentage some, and then focus on what he does best. Get him in space with the ball. Create mismatches and confusion by making him a threat to do anything at any time with the ball. The man can burn a defense. Look at what he did his rookie year against the Texans. That type of play, with a slight bump in accuracy, will go a long way. The Colts just have to find a way to harness it.
