Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson rode the roller coaster in his final preseason appearance of 2024, a 27-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The signal-caller came out hot, threading the needle to Alec Pierce for 18 yards on his first play. Richardson connected on his first six pass attempts and found rookie Adonai Mithcell for a 9-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the opening drive.
Then Richardson hit the down-slope of the ride. He threw a pick-six on the second drive, leaving a ball behind tight end Kylen Granson that Bengals safety Jordan Battle swiped. He completed two of his final eight attempts with some awkward misfires. Richardson also fumbled on a would-be scramble, but the Colts were able to recover.
"Decent. Got two touchdowns," Richardson quipped of his performance, via the team's official website.
Richardson displayed the highs and lows in 25 plays against Bengals backups he'll likely experience entering Year 2. He flashed a big arm, got the ball out quick early and was accurate on the opening drive. He also missed more than his share of throws and had a couple of questionable reads.
The good thing for Indy is that the young QB never seems rattled, even when things aren't going well.
"It's always fun when I get to play football, you know, it's part of the game, stuff's gonna happen," Richardson said. "Stuff's not always going our way. There's gonna be incomplete passes, I'm gonna miss some passes, the receiver's gonna drop some, you know, we're gonna drop the ball sometimes, but it's cool. Stuff like that's gonna happen."
Richardson knows parts of his game must be cleaned up before games begin to count.
"The interception, that was a tough one. Communication right there," Richardson said. "Granson saw something and I saw something, we've just got to be on the same page right there. The fumble, they preach two hands on the ball in the pocket every day in the QB room. I know they're going to tell me that when we get back in the meetings the next couple days. But I felt like it was a decent game."
Richardson started just 13 college games before the Colts made him the No. 4 overall pick in 2023. He started four games last NFL season before a shoulder injury ended his season. The 22-year-old -- younger than four of the six first-round picks drafted this year -- needs seasoning. He's flashed dynamic upside but needs to finesse consistency to lead Indy to the postseason in 2024.
"Look, guys are going to miss throws," coach Shane Steichen said. "You know what I mean? I don't care if you're a second-year player or a 15-year vet. Guys are going to miss throws. So I don't have any concerns with that."
The biggest concern is that Richardson stays healthy to get the reps needed to reach the next level of his career. In that sense, Thursday night was a success.