Colts-Jets preview: Backed by teammates, Anthony Richardson returns as QB1 against stout defense in Week 11

As Colts players, coaches and staffers filed toward the visitors' tunnel at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis at halftime in Week 9, quarterback Anthony Richardson stood at the back corner of the end zone with both hands outstretched, offering a high five to anyone walking by.

Richardson, at the time, was only a few days removed from being told he was headed to the bench. For the first time in his NFL career, he did not start for non-injury reasons. But the positivity he displayed in that moment – still encouraging his teammates even though he wasn't playing – spoke volumes to the folks on the receiving end of those high fives.

"That meant everything," wide receiver Josh Downs said. "The fact he's still locked in with the team and still supporting everyone, talking to us during the week, still practicing hard — it shows his character."

Over the last two weeks, the Colts never gave up on Richardson – and Richardson never gave up on the Colts. Teammates saw Richardson accept that the work he was putting in was "never enough," as the 22-year-old quarterback said this week. Richardson acknowledged he needed to be more consistent in everything he did while sacrificing more for his team. And instead of sulking and disengaging after being benched without a timeline to return as QB1, Richardson made the strides the Colts needed to see from the 2023 No. 4 overall pick.

"As a player, to go where you've never been and become the player you want to be, you gotta be willing to do things that you've never done and make certain sacrifices you've never made," defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. "And I feel like within this process, the past two weeks, he's been able to really see that and, that's what gives us so much confidence in him, knowing that he's rooting the process and he's developing as a pro."

High fiving his team as they jogged off the field was a public, plain-to-see example of Richardson's enduring dedication to his teammates. Behind the scenes, at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, those same teammates appreciated what they saw in Richardson's commitment to the "little things," as head coach Shane Steichen said: Classroom work, note-taking, walkthroughs, weight room, etc.

"I think that he definitely grew from that experience," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said. "It was almost like a little wake-up call. And just the way he responded to that, he did everything right, he showed up here early, put in extra work and doing everything that was asked of him."

"You just want to gain the respect (and) the trust of your teammates, and he's just doing all he can to work hard," cornerback Kenny Moore II said. "And I'm proud of him for doing that and doing all he can to get back on the field."

As Richardson went to work improving his process and preparation, veterans in the Colts' locker room looked inward to evaluate if they were doing enough to support their young quarterback. Both Buckner and Moore – two of the most experienced and decorated players on the Colts – acknowledged how hard it is to walk in the shoes of a starting quarterback, especially one drafted in the top five, given the intense scrutiny and colossal responsibilities that come with the job.

Linebacker Zaire Franklin, too, urged his fellow captains to do more to support Richardson.

"Just the dedication to the preparation and the overall growth in the last couple weeks, I think the reality of the situation is he's not perfect, none of us are," Franklin said. "He's going to make mistakes. I challenged the rest of the captains and the leaders on this team, let's earn our role, let's do our job to support him and have his back the same way we had leaders when we were young players that had our back.

"He's in a tough spot, because the position that he's in has such a microscope on it, and his decisions mean so much to our organization, but we gotta do our best to help support him and have his back along these times."

Part of that meant giving Richardson some grace for shortcomings that preceded his benching. Another part meant being candid yet caring with Richardson.

"Some guys, you need to be blunt, you need to be straightforward," Buckner said. "Because at the end of the day, he knows, and everybody in this building knows, when a teammate's coming at you straightforward on certain things, it's coming from a place of love. We all have the same goal, we all have the same goals for this team, and we all want to go in the same direction. And so when you can really not take it personal and set it aside, and really learn from what your teammates are telling you and apply it, we can go somewhere.

"And I feel like he's capable of putting the personal aside and really saying that, from guys coming to him and helping him out from that, it's not coming from any other place than love."

The Colts want to win, Richardson wants to win, and together, the Colts believe they can win with Richardson back behind center. And as Richardson returned to his starting gig, he does so with the sort of humility that generates even more trust in him among his teammates.

When Steichen told him this week he'd be the Colts' starter for the rest of the season, Richardson took that news understanding only he can guarantee his role moving forward.

"He told me I was gonna be the starter from here on out, but it's up to me to keep my job," Richardson said. "I gotta make sure I'm doing the right thing and keep showcasing to Shane that I can be the guy now, that I am the guy for this team. It's not really up to him, I felt like the past couple weeks were up to me as well. I just gotta showcase the work and keep showing them that I'm willing to be the quarterback for this franchise."

Richardson's teammates always believed he'd start again, even as his benching after Week 8 came with neither a public nor internal timetable. He would earn it back when he earned it back. But through this adversity, those guys in the locker room always had Richardson's back.

And Richardson had theirs.

So last weekend against the New York Jets, Richardson gave out high fives to his teammates. But he also gave out the play calls, handed the ball off and dropped back in the pocket in the job he worked to get back.

"He could've went in the tank and just been like, man, I'm not playing around with these dudes no more," Downs said. "But he kept a good attitude, he went to work every day and he still was a great teammate. So I'm happy for him that he gets to go out there, have another opportunity. We're all in his corner and we're happy for him."

Richardson's return comes against stout Jets defense

While the Jets may be 3-7, they bring a stingy defense to Week 11 headlined by stars like defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Some notable team-wide numbers on the Jets' defense this season:

Digging a little deeper, though, there could be some opportunities for the Colts to hit some explosive runs on Sunday. The Jets enter Week 11 24th in the NFL in explosive run rate allowed – opponents are gaining 10 or more yards on 14.3 percent of their rushing attempts. In the six games Richardson has started, the Colts have a 20.8 percent explosive run rate versus 11.6 percent in four games Joe Flacco started. That 20.8 percent explosive run rate would lead the NFL; 11.6 percent would be good for 22nd over the course of a full season.

"He brings a unique skillset, so now it puts defenses in a bind," running back Jonathan Taylor said. "They have to pick their poison, they have to figure out how do we want to defend this play, this scheme, this formation that they're in. It's a whole different dynamic that gets added when he's in the game, and that's what makes him special, that's what makes him so tough for defenses to defend."