EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – When the Colts benched Anthony Richardson three weeks ago with the charge to hone in on his process but without a timetable for his return, a natural follow-up question emerged outside the walls of the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.

Was this going to work?

The Colts, internally, believed having Richardson take a step back for however long he needed would straighten some things out in his otherwise uneven second season. They saw Richardson respond with focus, consistency and – notable certainly to his teammates – positivity. They saw Richardson commit to the little things he needed to within his process. They saw him make the strides they needed to see from the 2023 No. 4 overall pick to earn his starting gig back.

And on Sunday, they saw Richardson play arguably the most complete and most impressive game of his career in beating the New York Jets, 28-27, in Week 11 at MetLife Stadium.

"Obviously, (AR) had the chance to sit back and see things from a different perspective," head coach Shane Steichen said. "He was putting in the work and progressing in that way. He was ready to roll today."

It wasn't just that Richardson obliterated Jets safety Jalen Mills – "It looked like that dude got hit by the Holy Ghost the way he went backwards," tight end Mo Alie-Cox quipped – on his way to a rushing touchdown to open the game. It wasn't just that Richardson completed two-thirds of his passes for a career-high 272 yards. It wasn't just that Richardson quarterbacked the Colts to victory with his first career game-winning drive, which was punctuated by more freight train cosplay on his go-ahead touchdown.

More than anything, no matter the circumstances of the afternoon, the 22-year-old Richardson looked comfortable. He looked in rhythm. He looked like poised.

He looked in control.

"I wouldn't say (this was) the most prepared or the most confident, just the most relaxed I've been," Richardson said. "There wasn't really any pressure on me, I was just out there taking it one play at a time. That's what I kept telling my teammates, one play at a time, and that was probably the biggest thing today."

One area where Richardson, though, was well-prepared was in how to attack a New York Jets defense that entered Week 11 allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game (168.3) in the NFL. Richardson said he met with Colts defensive coaches and players – who run a similar scheme – during the week to get an idea of how New York would defend certain passing concepts.

Richardson's 272 passing yards were the most any quarterback has had against the Jets in 2024.

"I was just focused on my assignment," Richardson said. "I wasn't trying to press or do anything too much. Even when we did go up 13-0, I didn't get too excited. Even when they came back and we were down 16-13, or whatever the score was, I was keeping myself in it, just believing in us and just believing that we had a chance to get the victory."

Richardson, indeed, did not look like a quarterback who was pressing to make a big play. He took what was there, zipped throws over the middle of the field and made decisions with confidence. In a way, even though he had just come back from the most magnified moment of adversity he's ever faced, he operated like the pressure was off.

In Week 8, Richardson's final two drives – with the Colts down by three to the Houston Texans – ended with a punt on a three-and-out, and then with a sack on a game-ending Hail Mary attempt. This time around, Richardson coolly engineered two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, drawing the Colts within two and then pulling them ahead with 46 seconds left.

"It kind of just let me relax a little bit," Richardson said of his two-week benching. "Although I didn't necessarily want to relax too much, but it just allowed me to take a step back and just clean up some things that I have to clean up. And that was really my focus, was making sure when I did the my opportunity again just making sure I was at the best of my ability."

Richardson, after Sunday's come-from-behind win, was not willing to entertain long-term proclamations about what this win means for his future. One game does not mean sweeping conclusions about any of this are fair or warranted. All Richardson wanted to do was express his appreciation for the faith the Colts, collectively, have had in him through being benched and then returning as QB1 two weeks later.

"I don't know if there's any reward to me," Richardson said. "I just hope my teammates see that I'm willing to do anything for them. To put my body on the line, to go sacrifice anything out there on the field for them. But I definitely just appreciate them trusting me and believing in me throughout the whole process, regardless of what was going on. Shoutout to Colts nation, I just appreciate all the support."

But there is something we can absolutely say about what the plan for Richardson produced, at least for Week 11:

That sure was fun to watch, wasn't it?