'Everything is not going to be perfect': Anthony Richardson breaks down his Colts' debut
INDIANAPOLIS -- Anthony Richardson faked a handoff on a run-pass-option throw and zipped the ball out on a screen to Michael Pittman Jr. and let his No. 1 receiver do the rest for 39 yards up the left sideline for a touchdown.
Richardson's first career touchdown pass was his easiest yet, but it's still the first one. So when Pittman Jr. popped up after being tackled into the end zone, he ran over to the stands and gripped the ball like a quarterback.
"I was this close to just launching it," Pittman Jr. said. "... Hopefully he didn't launch it, but if he did, that's on him."
Richardson also ran for his first touchdown, taking a draw play three yards for a score that he made look as easy as a practice rep.
The No. 4 overall pick finished 24 of 37 for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 31-21 loss to the Jaguars in his pro debut at Lucas Oil Stadium. He ran 10 times for 40 yards and a score. He did enough to give the Colts a fourth-quarter lead over the Jaguars but not enough to win.
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One team had Trevor Lawrence and a developed passing game. The other had hope -- and nothing Richardson did on Sunday is going to lessen that.
"I knew everything wasn't going to be perfect," Richardson said. "I didn't want everything to be perfect because that's part of the game, that's part of life. Everything is not going to be perfect.
"I was just trying to stay calm the whole time."
This was just the 14th start of his life above high school, and it came less than four months after his 21st birthday. Richardson came in fighting to prove he can be an efficient passer in addition to a dynamic runner and not just the one who completed 53% of his passes at Florida, and coach Shane Steichen set him up with a game plan to start delivering on that promise.
The Colts used a steady diet of tunnel screens and roll-outs that simplified the amount he'd have to read against the first NFL defense that has game-planned specifically around what he can and can't do. They let him be in control of the internal clock on how long to stick with the original design of a pass play and when to start improvising with the 4.44-second 40-yard dash speed and record vertical and broad jump explosion that once lit up this very building at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"Just trust it, stay in the pocket and make it work," Richardson said. "If not, I'm part of the offense as well, so using my legs definitely helps us. It's just a matter of just seeing if I have a lane or not."
The Jaguars played primarily zone coverage so their defenders could keep stationary position and avoid turning their backs on Richardson when he'd begin to scramble. They played a good amount of two high safeties in order to protect against his deep ball and force him to make pinpoint throws underneath -- and to make the Colts' skill players make a play to break the structure.
That's where some cracks appeared in the foundation. Richardson wasn't quite as efficient in the second half, and he forced one throw along the left sideline and didn't see a defender dropping into his zone, and Tyson Campbell picked off the pass. Outside of Pittman Jr. and his eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, his skill players were not able to break the game open. His running backs combined for 16 carries and 25 yards, and his receivers struggled to make plays in the absence of Jelani Woods.
But the Colts were looking for these kinds of challenges when they decided to start Richardson this early, knowing how far he and their roster needed to go. They want to build on his successes but also to find growth in his struggles, such as that interception.
"You wouldn’t have even known he threw an interception," wide receiver Alec Pierce said. "I think he did a good job. Even with other people who might have missed a play, he did a good job of just being positive on the sideline and bringing people up. He did kind of mention something to me and was just like, 'Next play, let’s go.'"
The Colts came away with a player who couldn't carry his team to a win but who also didn't lose the game for them, the way rookie quarterbacks often do.
Lawrence knows all about that. The No. 1 pick out of Clemson in 2021, he struggled mightily in Urban Meyer's offense, throwing 12 touchdowns to a league-high 17 interceptions and completing just 59.6% of his passes. The Jaguars then hired Doug Pederson and spent high on receivers like Christian Kirk and Lawrence broke out last season with 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 66.3% completion rate, an AFC South title and a playoff victory.
"Obviously being a rookie quarterback, it's a tough spot," Lawrence said. "There's a lot of learning that you have to do and it's just every week, learning and getting better. The only thing I told (Richardson) after the game was, 'Great game.' He made some unbelievable plays, but just try to protect yourself. The hits add up in this league and they are a little different than in college."
By starting Richardson this early, the Colts created a day of firsts, good and bad, which is why one of their staffers snuck a leather football onto the top shelf of his locker stall after the game.
It was the ball from the touchdown pass, the one Pittman Jr. nearly launched into the sky. Now, Richardson will get to bring it home to set on his own shelf.
He hopes it's the first of many in a journey that's just getting started.
Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Anthony Richardson breaks down his debut
