Anthony Richardson had a career day in his return against the New York Jets, which included his biggest moment when he led a game-winning touchdown drive late in the game.
We also saw adjustments made by head coach and game director Shane Steichen.
It was a run-centric approach, but it's not like the passing game was forgotten either. The Colts carried the ball 35 times and threw the ball 30 times in this game.
In previous games where we've seen this team pull away from Taylor and the ground game in the second half, it continued to be a part of the equation against the Jets, even when trailing.
Richardson was also heavily involved in the running game, carrying the ball 10 times. While all teams want to limit the number of hits their quarterback takes, as Steichen said in training camp, Richardson's ability with the ball is one of his superpowers, and failing to utilize that component will cripple this offense.
This all sounds relatively easy because yes, the Colts should do this every week. But that wasn’t the case — not even before Richardson was benched. There were games where Taylor's touches were minimal in the second half and Richardson was barely used on designed runs.
Against a good Jets defensive front, the running game wasn't particularly effective — the team averaged just 2.6 yards per rush — but committing to it and designing plays from it can still open up opportunities in the passing game, which Richardson took advantage from. He was the most efficient he has ever been on short and medium throws.
I'm assuming many who follow the Colts thought they would see this from this team all season long.
