Anthony Richardson Knows Improvement Is Needed

Source: Todd Rosenberg / Getty

INDIANAPOLIS – During a moment Anthony Richardson should have been celebrating his first NFL win, the young quarterback felt the need to let his team know something.

Richardson had just started and finished off his first victory as an NFL quarterback, yet while breaking down the team huddle in the post-game locker room, he wanted to share something with his teammates.

“Hey, I’m going to perform better,” the 21-year-old quarterback said to his teammates.

The public acknowledgement from Richardson is a nod to his accountability, but unfortunately no locker room words will cure his wild inaccuracy seen in 2024.

Through the first 3 games of 2024, Richardson’s completion percentage numbers have dipped noticeably from last season, and his turnovers have risen.

It’s a dangerous combination, with not enough big plays to overshadow the ugliness of those misses.

“I’ve just got to settle down and just let the ball spin.” a perplexed Richardson said on Sunday after his 10-of-20 day for 167 yards, 2 interceptions in Week 3.

“I’ve just got to give myself time and give myself some grace. I’m so hard on myself when I’m missing passes out there because it like, ‘Man, I don’t want to miss any passes.’ Like, I say, stuff like that’s going to happen, but I don’t want them to happen. So, I’ve just got to play better.”

Specifically on Sunday, Richardson had two interceptions squarely on the young quarterback to go along with multiple misses on third down.

The accuracy question with Richardson was always there, and it’s only rising.

In 2023, Richardson completed 59 percent of his passes, while tossing just 1 interception in 173 snaps.

In 2024, playing 157 snaps so far, Richardson has completed 49 percent of his passes, while throwing 6 interceptions.

The dip in accuracy, rise in turnovers, and doing it in routine clean pockets with a strong run game is a step in the wrong direction for Richardson.

Of course, he’s still just 7 games into his rookie season and coming off significant right shoulder surgery this offseason. Firm answers on Richardson would be ideal, but they aren’t a must in 2024.

Currently, more of Richardson’s issues seem to be rooted in accuracy, compared to a lack of processing.

Back at the 2023 Combine, some 2 months before Richardson became a Colt, Shane Steichen was asked if accuracy is something that can be taught.

“Yes, I think you can,” Steichen said, just a few weeks into his job as Colts head coach. “I think you can help accuracy, I definitely do, with mechanics and I think part of it too is the scheme you put him in. Don’t make them think too much sometimes and simplify the offense to build it around the quarterback.”

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When Richardson came out of Florida, his personal QB coach Will Hewlett said the “major focus” was knowing what velocity was needed on throws of less than 20 yards. Fundamentally, fine-tuning mechanics in the lower body was also a key. Some 15 months later, following a right shoulder surgery, those areas still need continued work.

Now from a yards per attempt standpoint and the ability to create some plays with his legs, Richardson has still been a potent threat in those areas.

It’s the misses though, combined with the turnovers, that offer a double whammy the Colts can’t have at quarterback .

Given Richardson’s gifts and ability to create big plays, they don’t need their young QB to be perfect in every area, but they can’t have both, which is what we’ve seen in recent weeks.

Now the questions become this:

-Is what Richardson has struggled with lately fixable?

-How much of this is simply a guy with less than 20 starts since high school, therefore more reps will quiet down these inconsistencies?

-Is there any rust from off-season right shoulder surgery that has contributed to dip from last season?

The good news is firm answers on these questions aren’t needed right now.

Richardson is going to get all the healthy reps in 2024, after missing out on 1,000 offensive snaps last season.

Right now though, improvement is needed and the young quarterback knows that.

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