Heavy ground game gives Richardson a chance to shine in Colts' latest victory

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts drafted Anthony Richardson to be their franchise quarterback.

On Sunday, they saw how he might be deployed most effectively.

Richardson threw only 11 passes in Indy's 38-30 victory over slumping Tennessee, becoming just the third player since 2000 to produce 38 points with fewer than 15 passing attempts. But the second-year quarterback and running back Jonathan Taylor executed the game plan perfectly by combining for 38 carries, 308 yards and four scores.

“My job is to pass the ball, deliver the ball, so whenever there’s an opportunity to do so, I’m expected to complete passes, regardless of how long I’ve gone without throwing a pass,” Richardson said. “I’m just trying to do my job the best way I can.”

While his stats have not improved dramatically since he regained the starting job, Richardson has made significant progress.

He started and finished all five games, the longest stretch of his career. He orchestrated fourth-quarter comebacks on the road against the New York Jets and New England. On Sunday, he broke the franchise record for most TD runs by a quarterback in a season by powering his way in from 5 yards out to tie it at 7 with his sixth TD of the season. And when Indy (7-8) needed a late third-down conversion to close out the victory, Richardson did that, too — firing a 10-yard strike to Michael Pittman Jr.

No, he wasn't perfect. A late throw over the middle resulted in yet another interception that cost the Colts a scoring chance in the first half.

But Richardson went 7 of 11 with 131 yards and a 27-yard touchdown pass to Josh Downs with 15 seconds left in the first half to open up a 24-7 lead.

And with Richardson and Taylor increasingly feeding off one another, the Colts may just be starting to unleash the full horsepower of what this dynamic duo can do. At least that's the hope as the regular season winds down.

“To add that element of (Richardson's) run game was huge,” coach Shane Steichen said. "He had some good runs for us all day. So, him and J.T. back there is huge.”

What’s working

Ground game. What else? It has been a rollercoaster season for the Colts offense in general as well as the running game. On Sunday, it looked spectacular. Indy broke a 68-year-old franchise record by rushing for 335 yards. Taylor has 76 carries for 421 yards over the last three games and has his first 1,000-yard season since winning the 2021 rushing crown.

What needs help

Closing out games. Somehow, the Colts went from a 38-7 rout to needing an interception on the game's final play. Maybe that explains why the Colts have played 12 one-possession games this season. If Indy could find a solution, it might not be on the cusp of making the playoffs instead of missing them for a fourth straight year.

Stock up

C Ryan Kelly. When the three-time Pro Bowl selection went on injured reserve in October, some thought Kelly may have played his last game in Indy. He's in a contract year and rookie Tanor Bortolini played well in Kelly's absence. But Kelly proved his value by making a big difference in the ground game.

Stock down

RG Dalton Tucker. The undrafted rookie moved into the starting lineup when Will Fries was sidelined with a season-ending leg injury. Then the Colts brought back veteran Mark Glowinski and plugged him into Tucker's spot. Tucker was a healthy scratch Sunday.

Injuries

WR Alec Pierce (concussion) and LB E.J. Speed (knee) were both inactive in Week 16 and it's unclear what their status will be next weekend. ... Two defensive backs — Jaylon Jones (throat) and Tre Flowers (shoulder) — left and did not return. ... Indy may have avoided a more concerning loss when Pro Bowl LG Quenton Nelson hurt his ankle in the fourth quarter. After slamming his helmet on the sideline, he returned for Indy's last drive.

Key number

18 — According to The New York Times, Indy has an 18% chance of making the playoffs heading into its final two games.

Next steps

Indy still has a manageable schedule with a trip to the New York Giants (2-13) next weekend before a rematch with Jacksonville (3-12) in the regular-season finale. If they replicate their play from the first three quarters Sunday, they're likely to finish with a winning record and maybe get lucky enough to make the postseason. If they play like they did in the fourth quarter, the opposite could happen.

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