Is An Richardson Roller Coaster A Good Thing For Colts?
Source: Michael Owens / Getty
Roller coasters are fun. They offer big thrills. high speeds and offer an adrenaline rush like nothing else. They are the signature ride at any reputable theme park for a reason and usually the most popular and carry the longest wait times. Everyone wants to ride the roller coaster!
When it comes to the NFL though, being labeled as a “roller coaster” is considered a bad thing. It means you can have the highest highs and the lowest lows with not much room for a middle ground in a short amount of time. Enter: Anthony Richardson.
If Richardson was a roller coaster, he’d be one of the new highly-hyped ones. Lots of glitz and glamour but one that has had its share of breakdowns with people saying “Jeez, is that ride ever open?”. After an extensive time on the sidelines it’s time for the Anthony Richardson roller coaster to have its re-grand opening when the Colts take the field against the Houston Texans in 12 days.
What kind of ride will it be? A slow-escalating one that brings you to one of the highest points you’ve ever seen? (ala Magnum XL-200 in Cedar Point) One like those with the multiple waves like a wooden coaster where the thrills are there but they are much less of high thrills but also more consistent? (think The Beast at King’s Island) Or one that makes you so sick from all the bumpiness and whiplash that you say you never want to ride it again? (Shout out to the now defunct original Gwazi at Busch Gardens in Tampa!)
There’s a chance Anthony Richardson could be one or all three of these kinds of thrill rides in the same season. The goal for the Colts is to try and harness those highs as much as possible while eliminating as many valleys and huge drop offs as possible. It’s easier said than done, especially for a guy who had his rookie season cut short by so many injuries. The preseason inconsistency and accuracy issues didn’t help settle any heart rates but the hope is that when the games start to count Richardson can fine tune his skills under Shane Steichen and find that consistency that will keep him humming for years to come.
“Roller coaster” shouldn’t automatically be considered a disrespectful one towards quarterbacks. Everyone wants the latest and greatest. The Colts hope they have that in Richardson. At the very least they want to see him string together performances that will keep them seeing the potential and the high thrills that come with him. They don’t want to be stuck in a valley. We’ve been there and done that the last few seasons with the quarterback position on the Colts. It’s time to climb to the skies and go to heights we haven’t seen since Peyton Manning. We’re ready. I’ll hold your hand if need be, just don’t puke on me if at some point we go over the edge.
For our conversation about Anthony Richardson and the “roller coaster” label, click the link below!
