<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2vPShZ_0vyB5CuT00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2vPShZ_0vyB5CuT00" width="900" height="591" >INDIANAPOLIS – Shane Steichen made two things crystal clear.<ol><li>Anthony Richardson will return as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback when his oblique injury allows.</li><li>His support of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley isn’t wavering.</li></ol>Both topics were given life on social media – although the clamor surrounding Bradley’s status was and has been much louder – in the aftermath of Sunday’s 37-34 loss to the Jaguars in Jacksonville.Richardson missed the game while rehabbing a strained oblique and looked on from the sideline as backup Joe Flacco nearly led the Colts to a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. Indy’s 39-year-old insurance policy completed 75% of his passes for 359 yards, three touchdowns and a 121.3 rating.Flacco’s yards were the most since Matt Ryan threw for 389 in a 34-27 win over the Jaguars in Indy in week 6 of 2022, and the ninth-most by a Colts’ quarterback in the past decade. He has at least two TD passes in seven consecutive games – the past two this season, the final five with Cleveland in ’23 – which is tied with Green Bay’s Jordan Love for the NFL’s longest active streak.After the game, Flacco said, “I did what I know.’’And Steichen knows this: As soon as Richardson has sufficiently recovered from the oblique injury, “he is our starting quarterback.’’Richardson was limited in all three practices last week and downgraded from questionable to doubtful on Saturday. In all likelihood, there never was much chance of him playing against Jacksonville.And this week? The Colts look to even their record at 3-3 on Sunday when they meet the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.The Colts want to ensure Richardson’s oblique/hip issue allows him to handle the rigors of his dual-threat skills. That evaluation resumes on Wednesday.“Just making sure he feels really good with his body,’’ Steichen said. “Obviously, the medical staff, all those things, but going through that process. The rehab, the practice, making sure he feels ready to go.’’The Colts are in the midst of a balancing act. They’re committed to giving Richardson as much experience as possible in his second year after a shoulder injury limited his rookie season to four starts and 173 snaps, and competing for their first playoff appearance since 2020.“We’re trying to win football games. That’s the bottom line,’’ Steichen said. “We’re trying to win football games and when Anthony’s out there, obviously he makes a lot of big plays for us and that’s where it’s at.’’Richardson’s injury history is impossible to ignore. He’s failed to finish four of his eight starts and has missed 14 of a possible 22 games.Steichen didn’t elaborate on the status of Richardson or running back Jonathan Taylor for the Titans game. Taylor missed the loss at Jacksonville with a sprained right ankle.“They’re doing well,’’ Steichen said. “We’ll see how the week goes, but they’re both feeling really good.’’About BradleyDespite mounting criticism from outside the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, Steichen is standing behind a coordinator who’s overseeing the NFL’s worst defense.“Gus has been doing this for a long time and he’s had incredible defenses where he’s been,’’ he said. “And I’ve got the faith and trust in him to get this thing turned around.’’The Colts were without six front-line defenders Sunday – tackle DeForest Buckner (ankle), nickel corner Kenny Moore II (hip), ends Kwity Paye (quad), Tyquan Lewis (elbow) and Samson Ebukam (Achilles), cornerback JuJu Brents – and the defense endured one of his worst performances.It allowed season highs in points (37), total yards (497), passing yards (371) and yards per play (8.7), as well as the longest run (Tank Bigsby’s 65-yard touchdown) and two longest receptions (Brian Thomas’ 85-yard TD and Christian Kirk’s 61-yard catch).Trevor Lawrence passed for a career-high 371 yards and two touchdowns, and did so in a clean pocket. The Colts had no sacks or quarterback hits, and only two pressures.“The biggest thing that we need to improve on is not giving up the explosive plays,’’ Steichen said. “We allowed too many of those and we’ve got to get those cleaned up . . . also, affecting the quarterback.“I’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys in the locker room, I really do.’’Bradley’s defense ranks 32nd in yards per game (419.2) and passing yards per play (7.9), 31st in rushing yards per game (157.0), 29th in yards per play (5.95) and passing yards per game (262.2) and 25th in scoring (24.4).If the averages hold up over the course of the season, the yards per game and passing yards would be the second-highest in club history.Fries outRight guard Will Fries will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery in Jacksonville Sunday night to repair a fractured tibia in his right leg. He was hurt when players rolled up on the back of his legs in the third quarter.The team placed Fries on the injured reserve list Monday.“Shoot, wish him all the best in his recovery,’’ Steichen said. “Just the ultimate competitor. Feel for him. He’s been doing everything right all year, playing his tail off and it’s just an unfortunate thing that happened to him.’’Fries, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, is the league’s No. 2-ranked guard, according to Pro Football Focus. The 2021 seventh-round draft’s 86.9 grade is just ahead of teammate Quenton Nelson (84.9) and trails only Pittsburgh’s James Daniels (92.0).Roster movesAlong with putting Fries on IR, the Colts waived cornerback Dallis Flowers. He had appeared in four games this season while coming back from an Achilles injury suffered in his week 4 start last year against the Los Angeles Rams.The Colts also re-signed kicker Spencer Shrader to the practice squad and waived Gregory Junior.You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.</div></body>

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Colts’ Shane Steichen: Anthony Richardson ‘is our starting quarterback’

INDIANAPOLIS – Shane Steichen made two things crystal clear. Anthony Richardson will return as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback when his oblique injury allows. His support of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley isn’t wavering. Both topics were given life on social media – although the clamor surrounding Bradley’s...

Colts’ Shane Steichen: Anthony Richardson ‘is our starting quarterback’

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