Stephen Holder, ESPNSep 25, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
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- Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson took the shotgun snap, used a quick play-action fake, climbed the pocket, then scanned the field.
Instantly, he fixed his eyes on receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who was open downfield in between two defenders' respective zones.
The pass protection on the play was ideal. And Pittman's route was crisp, finding a soft spot in the coverage. But then Richardson delivered the ball, sailing it well over Pittman's head and squarely into the hands of Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who made an effortless interception near midfield.
Meanwhile, Richardson reacted in horror. He slapped his helmet in disgust even before Johnson's pick, realizing he had thrown an errant ball. Once again, Richardson had turned a potential big play into a blunder. And his frustration was clear to see.
"Not necessarily pressing, but it's like, 'Oh my God, it's wide open, let me get him the ball,'" Richardson said. "And I just get too excited and I just miss him. So, I've just got to let it spin. Just give him the ball."
The Colts survived Richardson's mistakes, notching their first win of the season against the Bears. But the task gets more difficult in Week 4, when the Pittsburgh Steelers. who are allowing an NFL-low 229.7 yards per game, visit Indianapolis on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). The Steelers also rank in the top five in interceptions (four) and opposing quarterback QBR (35.4).
In his haste to deliver the pass to Pittman, Richardson did what young quarterbacks often do: He rushed the throw and, as a result, his mechanics were off. First, he inexplicably used a sidearm throw. And his feet were not underneath him during the attempt, something that can have a negative effect on accuracy.
"I just got too antsy right there," Richardson said.
That comes with consequences. Richardson is completing 49.3% of his attempts this season, which is last among NFL starters. That number is down from last season, when Richardson completed 59.5% of his attempts in four starts as a rookie. He also has a league-leading six interceptions.
But those numbers are offset by other figures, such as Richardson's yards per attempt (he's fifth at 8.0), his league-high air yards per attempt (11.9) and his relatively average QBR (he ranks 19th at 49.1).
Richardson can't and won't defend missing open throws, even if he is still only 22 years old -- the NFL's youngest quarterback -- and just seven starts into his career after suffering a right shoulder injury as a rookie.
"I've just got to settle down and just let the ball spin," Richardson said. "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."
Colts coach Shane Steichen, a former quarterback at UNLV, can relate. It's not uncommon, he said, for young quarterbacks to let their mechanics slide in the heat of the moment -- like when Richardson's eyes widen at the sight of an open receiver.
"Every once in a while, quarterbacks do get sped up," Steichen said. "And again, I think it just goes back to repetitions. We've just got to keep practicing it, keep repping it, and we will start hitting those things. I've got a ton of confidence in him."
Steichen's confidence that Richardson's issues can be addressed comes, in part, because the Colts have seen him throw accurately when his mechanics are solid. His higher completion percentage rate last season as a rookie, when he threw just one interception in four games, suggests as much.
"It's in him," Steichen said. "A hundred percent, it's in him. We'll keep working through those things. But he's going to start making those throws. I have no doubt. He's been making them. He's got to make them consistently."
One reality that could be at play here: Richardson's months-long layoff after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5 of last season was a setback to a quarterback who needed development. Even though he was drafted No. 4 overall last year, there was always an understanding that Richardson was still raw after making just 13 college starts.
His accuracy at Florida was considered an issue during the pre-draft process. But there has been little opportunity to refine that technique because much of his first NFL offseason was spent rehabbing his shoulder.
Richardson is often compared favorably to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, another big-body quarterback who possessed a strong arm but questionable accuracy coming out of college. Allen's rookie-year completion rate of 52.8% was worse than Richardson's rookie season. And Allen wasn't much better in Year 2, completing 58.8% of his attempts in 2019.
But consistent refining of his technique did yield results. Last season, Allen was 10th in the NFL, completing 66.5% of his passes. He's a two-time Pro Bowl selection and is considered among the elite quarterbacks in the game.
Does Richardson have the capacity to make that kind of transition? The Colts are counting on it.
"I'm going to do better," he said. "I'm going to clean it up for the team."