After being benched for the Indianapolis Colts past two games, Anthony Richardson is set to be under center for the team when they take the field in Week 11 against the New York Jets. With Joe Flacco struggling while filling in for Richardson, the Colts decided hand the ball to Richardson in hopes that he could help them get back on track.
Richardson has shown flashes of his potential this season, but he's also struggled mightily along the way, and it led to the Colts sending him to the bench in order for him to put a reset on his campaign. During this time, Richardson worked on improving his preparation process behind the scenes, and Indianapolis is hoping that it will pay some immediate dividends against New York.
“The Colts knew there would be up-and-down moments in Richardson's development, and for sure there have been,” Ian Rapoport said via NFL.com. “They are willing to ride with that, sources say, provided the process and preparation are right. The team's brass and coaching staff believe they have Richardson's attention when it comes to preparing off the field and in meetings. Essentially, Richardson needed to embrace how intense it had to be. And sources underscored what Steichen said publicly about Richardson: The change in preparation during his two weeks away was noticeable.”
Anthony Richardson hoping improved preparation leads to success with Colts

Richardson has the talent needed to succeed at quarterback, but putting all the pieces of the puzzle together has been a struggle for him. Part of that process starts during the week on the practice field and in the meeting room, and that's something Richardson hadn't been taking seriously enough. The benching appears to have been a wake-up call for him, though, as team sources have reportedly been pleased with the changes they have seen for him.
Now, translating that work behind the scenes out onto the field for actual games is the next step in the process for Richardson, and he will have a prime opportunity to carve up a porous Jets defense in Week 11. Fans shouldn't expect Richardson to immediately come out and dominate in the wake of his benching, but if he can start to take baby steps forward and build some momentum, the Colts would have to be pleased with that outcome.