Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen got real on how Anthony Richardson can earn back the starting quarterback position. The second-year QB hasn't seen action since he was benched for Joe Flacco after Week 8.
The Colts have dropped their past two games, including Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Despite Flacco's four-turnover game, Steichen is in no rush to go back to the team's former top-four pick as the starter. However, the second-year head coach revealed what Anthony Richardson could do to become QB1 again.
“He’s (Richardson) going through that process every week, preparing like the starter, going through his process, getting his reps out there on the practice field. And we go from there,” said Steichen, according to Colts reporter for The Athletic, James Boyd.
The Colts are still in the playoff hunt
The Colts narrowly missed out on a playoff berth by a game in Steichen's first year. So far this year, Indianapolis is in the same spot, a game out of the seventh seed. Except in this case, Steichen's team is in the eighth spot, holding the tiebreaker over the 4-6 Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite being squarely in the playoff hunt, the Colts' quarterback position has caused a lot of drama within the organization. And things haven't gotten any better with Flacco's two-straight duds as the starter.
The veteran's two starts come right after Anthony Richardson's controversial decision to sit out a play against the Houston Texans. Until that game, Richardson struggled significantly, throwing for four touchdowns and seven interceptions with a lackluster QBR of 36.8.
Overall, Steichen must get the most out of this position, as the Colts have many winnable games on their schedule left. Aside from a home matchup against Detroit, the last seven games on Indianapolis' schedule come against teams that are .500 or below. That includes a Week 15 game in Denver which could have tremendous playoff implications.
Despite there being room for optimism, the franchise is in a difficult spot right now. Cornerback Kenny Moore II just called out the team for its lack of effort against Buffalo, and Flacco was heavily booed in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Steichen will need to right the ship to ensure that the Colts start heading in the right direction as soon as possible. If he doesn't and the Colts continue to struggle, owner Jim Irsay has a history of making stunning decisions before, and there's no indication he won't do something like that again.
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