Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen made the hard choice to bench second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for the Colts' upcoming game with the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. Veteran Joe Flacco is getting the call to replace him, though it wasn't an easy call in Indy.
Remember, Richardson was selected by the Colts with the 4th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. They took him to be their franchise quarterback, but now at 4-4 and coming off a tough 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans, Steichen has decided to make the move. Richardson completed just 10-of-32 passes in that game for only 175 yards, a touchdown, and one interception.
“It's a difficult thing,” Steichen said via ESPN regarding the decision to bench the young quarterback. “But it's my obligation to the 53 guys in this organization to win football games, and right now, I'm focused on the present: winning football games. We'll get to the future when we have to get to the future.”
Steichen is right. The future is the future, and right now, his Colts have to focus on beating a 5-2 Vikings team on “Sunday Night Football” that's going to be desperate after losing two straight.
Flacco does give the Colts the best shot in this one. Here's why:
Flacco can help the Colts move the chains
Arguably, the biggest problem for Richardson this season has been his completion percentage. His completion percentage of 44.4% is the fifth worst in a quarterback's first six games of the season since 2000, according to ESPN. He's just not getting the ball to his receivers, and no matter how athletic you are, in the NFL, a quarterback's main job is to throw the football.
There's also the turnovers to consider. It's one thing to be Jordan Love and to have thrown nine interceptions but also a ton of touchdowns on a winning team. Richardson has thrown just four touchdowns this season compared to seven interceptions. His passer rating of 57.2 is second-worst in all of football behind just Dorian Thompson-Robinson of the Cleveland Browns, who only played in one game and threw two interceptions.
That's not good company.
Meanwhile, in four games this season, Flacco has completed 65.7% of his passes. He's thrown seven touchdowns compared to just one interception, so when it comes to ball security and being able to move the chains, Steichen is right to trust Flacco over Richardson.
Flacco's presence will help Jonathan Taylor
It's a credit to how good Jonathan Taylor is that he rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries against the Texans despite Richardson being so ineffective. The only way to stop a back like Taylor is to stack the box on him, and with the threat of a quarterback beating you so small, it becomes easy for defenses to be able to focus on stopping the run.
The Vikings won't be able to do that as much as the Texans did because, at the very least, Flacco presents them with something to be weary of downfield. Flacco's long pass this season was 65 yards, and he's averaged 6.6 yards per throw. Those aren't eye-popping numbers, but in a must-win game for the Colts, the steady passing presence of Flacco compared to the erratic presence of Richardson will keep the Vikings defense from being able to focus solely on stopping Taylor.
Flacco can handle the pressure of the Vikings' defense
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is notorious for bringing pressure on quarterbacks and causing such havoc in creative ways. For a young quarterback like Richardson, facing Flores' defense in a non-conference game would be a nightmare. As proven above, Richardson has already had issues with completions as well as interceptions. Meanwhile, Flores' defense has 15 takeaways this season, which is tied for second-most in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers. They've notched five interceptions, which is about league average, but their 24 sacks are also Top 5 amongst all NFL defenses.
Simply put, Richardson would be likely to be overwhelmed by the Vikings' defense, especially on the road in a rowdy U.S. Bank Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.”
Meanwhile, Flacco has been there and done that. He's become a journeyman backup at the tail end of his career, but let's not forget that this is a 17-season veteran who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and was the Super Bowl XLVII MVP.
This moment on “Sunday Night Football” won't be too big for Flacco, and he's not going to be overwhelmed by Flores' defense. Heck, just look at how he's handled replacing Richardson.
“The thing we've got to remember here is Anthony's young,” Flacco said. “I know that when I was that young, there's no chance that I would've been able to have the perspective and just the right head on my shoulders to handle it and take it the right way. But now, being this is my 17th year, I do have that perspective.”
Let's also not forget Flacco may not be the player he once was, but he's still checking in at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, and he's always been hard to take down.