Colts Notebook: Anthony Will Start Against Dolphins

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts are looking much healthier heading into their lone home game in the month of October.

Yes, Jonathan Taylor (right ankle) will miss a third straight game, but the return of Anthony Richardson (oblique) is coming in Week 7.

How do things stand for the Colts heading into Sunday?

• Shane Steichen confirmed on Friday that Anthony Richardson will start on Sunday against the Dolphins. Technically, Richardson has practiced 9 straight days (5 limited, 4 full) with all 3 sessions this week being a full participant. “He looked good,” Steichen said of Richardson on Friday. “He was throwing crisp passes, great in the pocket, got out and moved him around, ran a lot, he looked good.”

• Jonathan Taylor (right ankle) will miss his third straight game, and has now missed 9 consecutive practices. With Sunday’s inacative, Taylor has now missed 16 games, and played in just 25 games, over the last 3 years. The Colts didn’t originally put Taylor on injured reserve so the thought is that his return should be next week, right? If not, then Taylor’s absence will have reached that IR minimum of 4 games. Shane Steichen said on Friday that the Colts didn’t think about IR for Taylor when he originally got hurt in Week 4, but that the running back is “really close” to returning.

• The Colts didn’t open up the 21-day practice window for DeForest Buckner (ankle) this week, so his absence will stretch for a 5 ^th straight game. “Buckner is really close,” Steichen said on Friday. “Optimistic for next week opening that window.” That 21-day window is for practice time. Will Buckner need more than a week to get back to game action?

• Michael Pittman Jr. (back) had a different practice schedule this week. Last week, Pittman Jr. didn’t practice the first two days, but then was full on Friday. This week, Pittman Jr. didn’t go on Wednesday or Friday, but did practice fully on Thursday. Pittman Jr. will play on Sunday, per Steichen.

• Josh Downs (toe) increased his practice workload this week, compared to last. Downs missed Wednesday’s session, but did participate Thursday and Friday, whereas last week he sat out each of the first two practices of the week.

• Alec Pierce (shoulder) was a new addition to the injury report on Thursday, sitting out that practice, but he was back working on Friday.