Other quarterbacks can only dream of doing some of the stuff Anthony Richardson did in his 2024 debut.
The starting point here, though, is that Colts lost, 29-27, to the Houston Texans on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. There's no sugarcoating the ultimate outcome of Week 1 – the Colts haven't won a season opener in their last 11 tries.
"We gotta brush it off, we got next week," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "I hate (to) keep saying that s* in Week 1, but it is what it is."
The Colts, though, also left downtown Indianapolis on Sunday with a certain undercurrent of confidence. Of course there's stuff to clean up, mistakes to fix, plays they want back.
But did you see what No. 5 did?
"There's just things he can do that others can't," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said.
Not many other quarterbacks would have their back leg slide out from under them at the back of their drop while still having the body control to sidestep a collapsing pocket and the arm strength to throw a ball 65.3 yards in the air downfield for a touchdown.
"That's just physical ability, launching that ball down the field," head coach Shane Steichen said. "There's not many guys that can do that."
Not many other quarterbacks could throw with such velocity that a pass traveling 38 yards in the air, on a line, could zip past a diving defender, whose arms flailed at air while Ashton Dulin sprinted for the end zone.
Not many other quarterbacks, on a desperation third-and-15, can calmly flick the ball about 64 yards in the air for a game-shifting completion.
And not many other quarterbacks could, in a gotta-have-it fourth-and-goal play, use their 250-pound strength to simply not be denied on a second effort to cross the goal line.
"I thought he made some big-time plays for us," Steichen said. "Obviously, that opening touchdown pass to Alec (Pierce), I don't think I've seen a throw like that. And then he hit another big one to Alec right there at the end on the two-minute drive, to get down there and score. He had Ashton on the in-cut. Then fourth down, got to have it. I mean, he just powered his will to go get in. I thought he did some really good things coming back."
Welcome to the Anthony Richardson Show, which like all good shows wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. He missed some throws – two that could've been touchdowns to rookie wideout Adonai Mitchell – and was picked off in the red zone when he sailed a throw intended for tight end Kylen Granson.
It wasn't perfect, but let's not forget the 22-year-old Richardson is still the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL. He's had that designation, now, for two consecutive seasons – even after three first-round rookies made their NFL debuts on Sunday.
"Yeah, obviously would love to have those (to Mitchell) back," Steichen said. "I mean like I said guys, we're going to – he's going to miss some throws, just like all these quarterbacks in the league will miss some throws. But we'll get them cleaned up."
Pittman echoed that perspective and confidence.
"It's the first game, so when you really think about it this is his (fifth) game he's really played in," Pittman said. "I thought he did great. There's always things we can clean up — give Houston credit."
The goal for the Colts' offense is to correct some things that limited their efficiency in between the dizzying highs of Richardson's standout plays from Sunday. For one: Running back Jonathan Taylor carried 16 times for 48 yards (3.0 yards/attempt) and didn't have a run longer than seven yards.
"I think as a team, (it's) just execution we'll clean up," center Ryan Kelly said. "I felt the fight, top to bottom, from the beginning to the end was there. That's what you want to see. Against a team like that, when you don't execute in critical situations, you're not going to win."
Kelly's mind then turned to what Richardson was able to do.
"But I thought Anthony played a great game," Kelly continued. "I mean some of the deep ball throws that he had, some of the throws he made to keep that drive alive and score last final effort, super impressive. You just keep building off that."
Richardson's ability to access things other quarterbacks can't is absolutely something upon which the Colts can build. Like he showed Sunday, at any moment – anywhere on the field, with any down and distance – he's a game-changing play waiting to happen.
The Colts, collectively, already knew that. They saw it last year, then again in training camp this year. And it's why, even while feeling the sting of a Week 1 loss to a division rival, this team is looking at the next 17 weeks of the 2024 season with plenty of confidence.
Because, again – did you see what Richardson could do out there?
"I mean, you guys can see," Taylor said. "Of course, as the year goes on, he'll keep getting better and better."
