Threw this one well and didn’t throw his man into a big hit from the CB that fell off of his coverage.
But this play didn’t end the drive.
Kirk Herbstreit later tried to create a quarterback controversy between Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco.
In my opinion the only true “bad ball” Richardson threw all day.
The Colts got the win, but few things matter less than a preseason win.
The other camp will tell you that Anthony Richardson is 22 years old, has played in fewer than five professional football games and barely had a dozen starts in college.
But if anyone in camp one becomes self aware enough to just admit that Anthony Richardson has some very exciting traits, they might make their first good point, ever.
What is more concerning for me than the play of Anthony Richardson were the number of miscommunications we saw on the field.
This game’s (and every other preseason game’s) final score was meaningless. The first team units of the Indianapolis Colts were what really mattered. The fact that the Cincinnati Bengals started their second and third string players against Indianapolis’ starters was more significant than their opponent. There will undoubtedly be certain things you cannot tell from starting players versus reserves, but other factors will remain the same no matter who the opponent is.
A throw that is accurate against a poor defense, for instance, won’t be any less accurate against a strong one. In a game like this one, accuracy is all that matters, and those are the things we can evaluate. So let’s get started and see what inferences we can draw from today’s game, if any.
the initial quarter.
This year, opposing tackles will have to contend with Laiatu Latu’s continued presence.
But it’s true that some offensive lines this season will be severely strained by having Latu and Deforest Buckner on the same side of the line.
Anthony Richardson and the Colts offense got off to a great start.
Richardson moved into the pocket and hit Alec Pierce with a perfect pass that allowed him to cross the field from left to right. threw this one nicely, avoiding throwing his man into a big hit from the CB who slipped past his coverage.
Drew Ogletree dropped this after Richardson completed his first six passes.
There was room for improvement with this ball. The toss was lofty. It still bounced off Ogletree’s hands. That ought to have been discovered. It’s true that both the pass and the catch ought to have been made, despite the pass’s shortcomings. However, the drive continued after this play.
The drive ended with this play.
In live game action, AD Mitchell made his first endzone crossing as a Colt. The offense was in full swing as Richardson completed all but one of the passes and finished with six.
Then everything changed drastically.
Tight end Kylan Granson ran a pivot route to the sideline, but Richardson threw the ball inside due to an evident misunderstanding. Consequently, the Bengals were awarded a pick-six. Kirk Herbstreit referred to this as an imprecise pass. Later, Kirk Herbstreit attempted to instigate a quarterback dispute between Joe Flacco and Anthony Richardson. Kirk Herbstreit performed poorly in this match. It was difficult to listen to.
I accept the criticism that Richardson received for this pass as well.
This throw is acceptable to me for the following reasons: 1. I’m making do with what I have because I haven’t seen all 22. 2. . In the middle of the field, here’s a pass. Passes in this section of the field ought to be thrown low. That’s simply a universal law of professional football; it’s not my opinion. Like in any other part of the field, passes thrown high over the middle can be tipped, batted, dropped, and deflected. The only difference is that there are always a lot of defenders waiting for a batted pass in the middle of the field. It’s far harder to put the defense in a tip drill scenario if you keep the ball low. This ball has to be positioned low. Three. Pit would either get it or no one would, so it was thrown there. Regarding the third point, I have nothing more to add; it was Pitt or nobody, and that’s a good thing.
The TV angle ultimately limits me. I’m not sure if he was right to place the ball where he did given the defenders, and anyone who tells you otherwise without watching the tape is either lying or mistakenly thinking they are far more knowledgeable about football than they actually are. In any case, Richardson made a wise choice by trying to pass over the linebackers and under the safeties, but he was unable to make contact with his receiver. That’s okay with me.
Richardson then failed to seize an open AD Mitchell that, had he seize it, might have continued running. I am telling you about that clip now for the purpose of recapping the game, even though I did not post it because it was clearly not a highlight. Towards the left side of the field, it was a poor throw. The one real “bad ball” Richardson threw all day, in my opinion.
Quarter Two.
A little credit must be given to Darrell Baker Jr.
He did not impede on this play, even though he was in a great position. It’s encouraging to see that as a player, he appears to have developed significantly over the previous 12 months.
Ole Herbie wasn’t quick to highlight the advantages, but he was quick to criticize the NFL’s newest starting quarterback.
In this instance, Richardson found Granson with a strike over the middle of the field, gaining 20 yards while dodging defenders.
I refrained from breathing.
And in the end, everything was alright.
The Colts’ offensive line-up of starting players for the preseason came to an abrupt end. However, a few noteworthy moments nevertheless happened along the route.
Ronnie Harrison, Jr. The back on screen play on this one was completely destroyed. Excellent hit from the security.
Q3 is up next.
Spencer Shrader had an incredible game, but there is no kicker controversy.
He created this one out of 56 and another out of 41, and that day he was flawless.
Jordan Murray and Jason Bean are far more fascinating than they should be.
It’s delightful to watch Jason Bean.
The fourth quarter.
Extra Bean Video.
Here, Bean gets in for six, but, as is customary for young, mobile Colts quarterbacks, he was injured in his shoulder.
Suddenly, Eric Johnson needed to make a huge play in order to maintain his spot on the 53-man roster.
On this play, Johnson’s hustle led to a turnover and additional Colts points.
With less than two minutes remaining, Demetric Felton did his thing and found himself in the end zone.
The Bengals received the ball after this one and took a few knees to end it. Though not much matters more than a preseason victory, the Colts did win.
Lastly, some reflections.
While Kirk Herbstreit may have stated otherwise, I don’t believe Anthony Richardson looks “bad” in this game, as will be much discussed. Undoubtedly, there were difficult times. On a third-down crossing route in the second quarter, he threw an incomplete pass to AD Mitchell. It might have been simpler to intercept his high pass intended for Ogletree in the end zone. I’m holding off on making a determination regarding his pass to Michael Pittman Jr. over the middle, but I don’t think it was the shoddy pass that Kirk and the spirit of Al Michaels would have you believe. Instead, I see the all-22.
Online Colts fans have probably already divided into two factions. There are those who contend that Anthony Richardson is a bust and that the Indianapolis Colts should have fired everyone the moment they selected Richardson over Will Levis because we all knew he couldn’t throw. Anthony Richardson, who is 22 years old, has only appeared in five professional football games, according to the other camp, and only made about twelve starts during his time in college. They will advise us to anticipate growing pains. They’ll draw attention to the fact that the positive outweighed the negative.
And so, who is correct?
Camp two, of course. However, if someone in camp realizes that Anthony Richardson possesses some really intriguing qualities, they may make the first intelligent argument in history. Given his youth and inexperience, Richardson has a lot to be optimistic about based on his recording from a year ago. Everything you say is accurate, but he still needs to develop and get better, which I believe everyone in camp two already knew.
I find that the amount of misunderstandings we witnessed on the field is more worrisome than Anthony Richardson’s play. It is true that Richardson has accuracy problems, and as he works to address them, we should all adjust to it. However, Shane Steichen’s offense’s disarray was something we didn’t witness last season. But we witnessed it several times tonight. I noticed that at least one blocking assignment from the first team offensive line was blown, AD Michell left on a route that resulted in an incomplete, and Granson and Richardson weren’t communicating well. If I watch the game again, I might find more.
And those things will kill an offense before it ever gets off the ground, even more so than a clumsy pass, four, or five.
Thus, should we become alarmed?
What happens after a preseason game in which there is no set strategy, the game’s main objective is to leave it healthy, and the result is meaningless?
Without a doubt.
However, we ought to watch it in the first month of the regular season. Shane Steichen is going to have some serious questions to answer if the offense looks out of sorts in the games that matter. However, at this point, it’s just a noteworthy observation to make. All Colts fans should feel optimistic about the season after the opening drive. They shouldn’t have to worry about having to purchase Super Bowl tickets because of all the other drives. All things considered, though, the future looks promising, and regular season football is almost here.
Go Colts.
