10 Colts thoughts on Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones, more from second preseason game

Indianapolis Star

a day ago

INDIANAPOLIS - Ten thoughts on the Colts' 23-19 loss the Packers in the second preseason game, at Lucas Oil Stadium:
1. This was set up to be the final showdown between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones for the starting quarterback job -- in theory. Ideally, the Colts would wrap this decision up this week ahead of a final preseason game when every team likes to rest its starters and use the reps to evaluate upcoming cuts for the 53-man roster.
But the settings have made that increasingly difficult to pull off, as the Colts have started to lose some key members of their own, and the Packers decided to rest all of their starters as a team that is hoping to contend this season.
It makes you squint, nitpick and take everything into context with Richardson and Jones -- but here we go:
2. Jones got the start, and it was a clunky start at that. He had a pass batted at the line, and then he tried a heave down the field that soared over Tyler Warren's head to result in a punt against the Packers' second team.
He was stronger on the second drive, with a nice comeback throw to Michael Pittman Jr. and a strike to Warren close to the sideline. Both were well-placed balls, though both players were schemed open pretty nicely, too.
Jones finished 7 for 11 for 101 yards, no touchdowns, no turnovers and a 93.1 rating. It was mostly what Jones has been in his career: safe, fairly efficient, taking what's there and not creating what isn't.
He's the floor in this competition.
3. Richardson was solid for the most part in his slightly more extended run. He finished 6 of 11 for 73 yards, no touchdowns and no turnovers, plus one carry for nine yards. But the numbers didn't tell the full story.
Richardson actually hit one of those deep balls we've been needing to see, when he uncorked a rainbow that allowed Anthony Gould to run under it with his trademark speed, just the way the two connected with beauty on the same concept in Thursday's joint practice. Except this time, Adonai Mitchell lined up offsides to wipe that gain out.
4. Richardson wasn't perfect, as he had another throw wiped out due to a penalty, but that's because he threw the run-pass-option design too late, even with Ashton Dulin schemed open early into the flats. That resulted in Matt Goncalves releasing from the line to get down the field the way it's taught with the run option, and Goncalves threw his arms up in frustration.
Richardson also threw too far on a swing pass to DJ Giddens, though an on-target pass might have been a hospital ball with the linebacker closing out of zone coverage.
What we did see was mostly quick decisions, safe passes, good zip and overall strong velocity, with a flash of the scrambling and the deep ball. Richardson's the ceiling play in this battle, but he showed a little better floor in this one, too.
5. I was curious, as I always am, to see if Jones can show off more of the deep ball he says he's confident he has inside of him.
He got a chance on the very first series, when Tyler Warren broke easily open on a flag route along the right sideline. But this time, Jones soared it over his head.
6. It isn't an arm strength question with Jones, necessarily; he isn't going to match Anthony Richardson's 65-yard lofts because nobody can, but he has enough physically at 6-foot-4 to get the ball as far as it needs to go a lot of times, as he showed here.
But he seems reticent to use it enough that he often decides late to do so, and that's when we see back-foot lofts that become back-shoulder fade balls and some like that Warren pass that just get away from him.
7. The injuries have been a concern on this team, and that concern only grew after the starters took the field for a quarter against Green Bay.
First, left tackle Bernhard Raimann was sporting a sleeve on his leg and didn't start with the rest of the line. He was getting that leg stretched out during Thursday's joint practice.
Then the other tackle, Braden Smith, exited with a groin injury and was immediately ruled out.
That means, as of right now, the Colts are down their two starting tackles and two of their three starting wide receivers. And the offense was supposed to be the healthier side of the ball.
8. Given that injury situation, which was plenty present entering the game, I'm surprised that Jonathan Taylor saw action in this game and that Giddens saw such a workload after he went out and Giddens was the only healthy running back who has a chance to make the roster.
It's a give-and-take in the preseason and especially when trying to gain a real evaluation of these quarterbacks, but I'd treat running back as interchangeable in these settings given how frequently injuries and just natural wear and tear set in at that spot.
9. Mitchell was flagged for lining up offsides to wipe out Richardson's best throw of the day on a fade to Anthony Gould. It's the kind of mistake he can't make no matter what highlights he puts up in the practices. There's just a details and focus element to the job when the games are real and the pressure is on that has evaded him since the Colts took him in the second round a year ago.
It was his second penalty of the game, with the other a clear holding when he was out of position to wipe out a good run play.
He'll get his opportunities with any injury to Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce or Josh Downs, and currently two are hurt. But the time to build trust with consistent delivery is right now.
10. The kicker battle is over.
We essentially knew that when special teams coordinator Brian Mason announced this week that Spencer Shrader would take all the kicks in this preseason game, and that Maddux Trujillo was going to get run in the Bengals game in order to build his reel for the league.
But if there was any doubt after Shrader missed an extra point in the joint practice, he put forth his best effort to squashing that in the game. Shrader hit field goals of 25, 29, 32 and 56 yards. The latter is the type of showcase that can win a job to replace Matt Gay, who was released because his premium salary no longer fit the struggles he was displaying from long range.
Time will tell how this goes. The Colts decided to try to answer this problem with bargain buys this offseason, partly in the ideology of going for it on more fourth downs. But it also could be a team that lives on the margins coming off an 8-9 season.