The Colts head to MetLife Stadium this week to take on the New York Jets. We will see Joe Flacco back to the sidelines and Anthony Richardson returns under center. Both teams are staring down lesser playoff odds with each loss and passing week. You could argue this is a must-win for both teams which makes it abundantly imperative for the Colts to find a way to win this week.
The Anthony Richardson Offense Returns
With the return of Anthony Richardson comes a new wrinkle in the offense. The statue quarterback that was Joe Flacco is back on the bench and the mobility is back. Are two weeks enough to fix the reported maturity and work ethic problems that were infecting the team? What has he learned and what has he fixed? Will his accuracy and fundamentals improve this week to help lead this team to victory?
The clock is ticking to decision day for the Anthony Richardson contract option next season. The remainder of this season will be the continued evaluation of him. It’s obvious that he still needs some polishing and it’s not only his evaluation, but Shane Steichen’s as well. These last 8 weeks will be very informative to the future of this football team.
Continue To Force Turnovers
The one bright spot of this team over the past few weeks has been the defense and their ability to create turnovers. They have created 17 turnovers this season, which ranks them 6th in the league. The Jets have a bona fide QB1 in Aaron Rodgers, but he has not played up to that level this season. He is aging but even bringing in his former teammate and friend Davante Adams has not helped the cause.
They say it all the time about slowing down a quarterback. Getting pressure, changing up schemes, and forcing bad throws. Rodgers has seen it all in his career and it’s difficult to try to throw him off his game but getting pressure and keeping that sticky coverage to try to force turnovers might be the recipe for success against this football team.
Yet To Put Together A Complete Game
I know I have been a bit redundant on this but it’s Week 11 and this team has yet to put together a complete game. By that I mean, executing a gameplan in all three phases at a high level. We have seen some games with offense churning the defense falters. Or some games where the defense is churning and the offense falters. We have seen games where both are terrible (ie Green Bay Week 2) as well. I feel like special teams have been consistently good all season.
With Richardson returning, could this be the spark that this team needs to get back in the win column and stay relevant in the playoff hunt? Playing a game on the road, let alone at MetLife Stadium is a tall task. If both sides of the ball can finally put together a complete game, on the road, then the Colts just might be able to get this season back on track with an easier December schedule ahead.
More from The Blue Stable:
Was The Benching Of Anthony Richardson A “Silent Suspension?”
