Colts camp observations: Anthony Richardson, passing game takes center stage
WESTFIELD — With Jonathan Taylor’s trade request looming over Colts training camp, Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew and the Indianapolis passing game took center stage in Saturday night’s practice, a session focused on third-down situations.
And the division of first-team snaps changed again.
For the first time in training camp, Richardson and Minshew traded off first-team snaps within the same practice. Richardson took the first-team snaps in the first 11-on-11 session and the first 7-on-7 session, while Minshew took the first-team snaps in the other three 11-on-11 periods.
Richardson completed 9 of 15 passes in 11-on-11, hitting Mo Alie-Cox twice, Kylen Granson twice, Mike Strachan twice, Isaiah McKenzie, Vyncint Smith and Evan Hull. The rookie also potentially took two “sacks,” although the defense cannot hit the quarterbacks in practice, and Richardson’s mobility makes it hard to judge if a sack likely would have occurred.
Minshew completed 13 of 17 throws, hitting Alec Pierce twice, Michael Pittman Jr., Alie-Cox, Granson, Jelani Woods, Drew Ogletree, Ashton Dulin, Ethan Fernea, Zavier Scott, Hull, Strachan and finishing it up with two completions to Deon Jackson. Two of those completions were improvisational shovels in the final period of the day, hitting Granson and Jackson while moving up in the pocket.
Pierce, in particular, made two nice catches on plays over the middle, including a nice adjustment to grab and run with a ball that Minshew left behind him. Veteran receiver Breshad Perriman earned Minshew another completion, stopping and turning back to make a lunging catch of an underthrown ball downfield.
But the receivers also dropped more passes than they have in any practice so far. Dulin, Zack Moss, Ethan Fernea and Malik Turner dropped passes in 11-on-11, and Smith couldn’t quite adjust to a deep ball from Richardson, losing the ball when it hit the ground in 7-on-7 on what would have been the rookie’s longest play of the day.
Richardson largely looked in rhythm Saturday night after timing issues on Friday, but the rookie still had a few rough moments, including an overthrown ball that missed an open Smith and a pair of runs that went nowhere, swallowed up by linebacker Grant Stuard and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad.
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Moore II shining in thin cornerback group
Kenny Moore II was frustrated by the way his 2022 season played out, frustrated by his play and the ankle injury that ended his season prematurely.
But he’s been a disruptive force in the first three days of training camp.
Moore II opened the practice by blowing through a block to stop Alie-Cox for a short gain on a completion from Richardson, broke up a pass during 7-on-7 and made the first pass breakup of 1-on-1 drills, stopping Pittman after giving up a catch on his first snap against the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.
“He’s an electric player,” Steichen said. “He’s a great cover guy, he makes a lot of plays, and it’s hard to throw against him.”
The Colts cornerbacks need it from Moore right now. An already-young cornerback group was missing rookies JuJu Brents and Darius Rush due to injury Saturday night, and in the first 1-on-1 period of training camp against the wide receivers, the cornerbacks largely struggled. The wide receivers made 18 catches on 23 attempts in the 1-on-1 drill, an impressive number even in a drill where the receivers have a distinct advantage.
Only Moore II and seventh-round pick Jaylon Jones had passes broken up in the drill, and Jones flashed a little bit later by breaking up the Richardson bomb.
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Rigoberto returns
Veteran Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez has been kicking in training camp during practice.
But Saturday was the first time he’d done it in a team setting since suffering a torn Achilles tendon in his punting leg in training camp last year, and the significance of the moment wasn’t lost on his teammates.
When Sanchez cut loose on his first offering, a moonshot that carried deep into the end zone and pushed punt returner Isaiah McKenzie back to catch it, the rest of the Colts punt team started cheering while the ball was in the air, cognizant of the significance for a punter whose presence was sorely missed last season.
Sanchez has been fully cleared, and he appeared to have all the tricks in his bag, hitting several directional punts to the left sideline, the way he’s done for so many years in Indianapolis. McKenzie and rookie receiver Josh Downs did the returning.
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Injury report
The Colts do not expect Rush’s injury to be a big deal.
“He’s got a little shoulder,” Steichen said. “He should be fine.”
Rush, Brents (hamstring), strong safety Julian Blackmon (hamstring) and defensive end Samson Ebukam (knee) sat out the practice due to injury. Taylor (ankle), defensive end Tyquan Lewis (knee) and rookie tight end Will Mallory (foot) remain on the active/physically unable to perform list.
Quick hitters
Smith, a veteran of four seasons with the Texans and Jets, has quietly turned in a nice start to training camp, and he made the highlight catch of the first week Saturday night, going up deep to haul in a deep ball from Sam Ehlinger in 11-on-11. … Veteran defensive end Genard Avery had another nice rush, leading to a potential sack. … Kevin Toliver II made a nice play on a ball, breaking up a throw by Minshew. … Undrafted linebacker Liam Anderson made a nice play on a short throw to Smith by Ehlinger, limiting the wide receiver to a stop at the line of scrimmage.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts camp: Anthony Richardson, passing game takes center stage
