Anthony Richardson #5 of the Indianapolis Colts hands the ball off to Jonathan Taylor #28 during training camp at Grand Park Sports Campus (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts are in good hands with their young stars Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor.
Richardson and Taylor are two of the most notable names on the Colts' roster, with Richardson serving as the team's franchise quarterback after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Taylor is one of the NFL's best running backs, finishing runner-up for Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 after leading the league with 20 total touchdowns and 1,811 rushing yards.
Although Richardson and Taylor have been sidelined since suffering injuries in an eventual 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, the Colts are 3-3 and in prime position to compete for a playoff spot as they enter their Week 7 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
A big reason for that is the play of 39-year-old Joe Flacco, who has helped lead the Colts to two victories while throwing seven touchdowns against just one interception in his three appearances while Richardson and Taylor have been sidelined.
"Joe brings something that you can't just go and get anywhere," says Taylor in a one-on-one interview with RG. "You can't just draft that and trade for it. Someone who's played winning football for a long time and it comes with experience. There's not much defenses can throw at him that he hasn't already seen. He's very calm, cool, and poised in the huddle — no matter what the situation is.
"It's actually pretty cool to see how he operates and see how he works," Taylor says of Flacco's contributions to the Colts. "He's super knowledgeable and focused, which is amazing to see. I love watching him because it's amazing he's still going."
Taylor — who has also played with veteran quarterbacks such as Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan — details exactly what he's learned from the Super Bowl champion.
"One thing he mentioned was, I always love when running backs are in the position they're supposed to be," says Taylor. "You guys have seen it over the past few weeks, when things aren't down the field, he has no problem hitting the check down — whether that turns into a five, 10 or 15-yard gain. He just knows that he has the running back as an outlet."
Flacco has helped stabilize the Colts while their two young stars have been sidelined due to injuries. While Richardson is trending towards returning this week after dealing with an oblique injury, Taylor's status is a bit more uncertain as he continues to deal with an ankle sprain. Taylor missed practices on Wednesday and Thursday.
While Taylor may be sidelined for another game, Richardson is slated to start barring any setbacks. That means the 22-year-old quarterback will be making just his ninth start after missing 15 of a possible 23 games due to injuries over the course of his first two seasons.
Although Richardson was sidelined for 13 games last season due to an AC joint sprain and has sat out the past couple of games due to an oblique injury, he doesn't necessarily plan on changing his style of play.
He does admit, however, that he needs to play "smart" to be "available" for the Colts moving forward.
"I wouldn't necessarily say change, but of course you have to play smart," says Richardson in a one-on-one interview with RG." Of course, you're going to go out there and get hit sometimes. It's not like I'm going out there and searching for contact. It's football — you're going to get tackled, you're going to get hit in the pocket, you're going to get banged up, bruised up. It's all a part of the game. I don't necessarily think about changing, but I do think about making sure that I'm available for the team and the squad."
Richardson has only started a few games during his young NFL career, so there's not much sample size to judge him. He's gone 4-4 in his eight starts with six touchdowns against seven interceptions for a 74.3 passer rating and a 55.3% completion rate. However, he's off to a rougher start this year, throwing three touchdowns against six interceptions after throwing three touchdowns against one interception last season.
However, that's also not mentioning the added value that Richardson brings to the table with his athleticism and ability to run the football, posting 6.7 yards per carry this season with 141 rushing yards after rushing for 5.4 yards per carry and 136 yards in just four games last season. Among all quarterbacks, Richardson ranks third in yards per carry since the start of the 2023 season.
Richardson, who starred at the University of Florida and ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns during his final season with the Gators, reveals the biggest difference between college and the pros.
"The difference between the colleges and the pros is the speed," says Richardson. "Sometimes in college, not everyone is fast. But in the pros, I feel everyone is fast. You got big, strong guys like that running at you every time. You're just taking the hits — you always have that in mind. But I'd say the speed of the game [is the biggest difference]."
Taylor — who is in the midst of his fifth season — says the biggest difference he's noticed in Richardson in his sophomore season compared to his rookie season is that he's "learned" how to play through adversity.
Taylor stresses that being "consistent" and developing your "routine" are key traits that Richardson has developed early in his career.
"How do you develop your routine, each and every single week being consistent? I do think that he had an opportunity to do that early," says Taylor. "Seeing how that off-the-field routine has now begun to translate on the field. It just makes it that much better, because the on-the-field part is the easy part. It's really the off-the-field [stuff] and finding a routine that works for you."
Richardson agrees that "being consistent" is his biggest objective and developing his "routine" has been the biggest adjustment since entering the NFL.
"In the NFL, everything matters — the details matter," says Richardson. "Making sure I'm consistent in my routine, that's definitely something I'm trying to master while I'm in the league so far. That's been one of my main goals throughout my career — being consistent. Everybody knows what I can do, everybody knows that I make flashy plays, I just want to make sure I'm consistent and trusting in my process and my grind."
DJ Siddiqi
