Hits And Misses: Erratic Anthony Richardson - Page 5
1. Hits: Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu: What a rookie moment for the 15th overall pick. Latu’s 4th quarter strip/sack was a huge step in the direction of the Colts slamming the door shut on their first win of the season. It should be noted that game-changing play also came from a 4-man pass rush. When the Colts drafted Latu, getting an edge rusher who can create such plays, without blitzing, was the thought. And that’s what Latu did in beating Bears tight end Cole Kmet for not just the sack, but also the strip of Caleb Williams.
2. Hits: Defensive Playmaking
Defensive Playmaking: Like this play from Latu, you saw the Colts defense create more playmaking on Sunday than we had seen in the first two weeks combined. It started with stopping any sort of Chicago attempt at running it. From there, the Colts got their hands on more pass attempts, forcing 3 turnovers and delivering time and time again in sudden change, and with a huge goal line stand. It was by no means a perfect defensive day against a bad Bears offense, but the playmaking was key.
3. Hits: Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor: Early in 2024, Jonathan Taylor has been a frequently productive member of the Colts. He’s probably been the team’s best player through each of the first 3 games. Taylor’s patience and vision was on full display against the Bears, eclipsing the 100-yard mark and sparking things late in the third quarter with a couple of big open-field moments.
4. Hits: Offensive Line
Offensive Line: From a unit standpoint, the Colts offensive line has been really stout to start this season. It’s been a healthy group providing ample clean pockets to work from, and some big blocks to help spring Taylor to back-to-back 100-yd games. While the defensive trench play for the Colts has had September question marks, the offensive trenches have picked up where they were last season.
5. Misses: Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson: For the second straight week, Anthony Richardson finds himself in the ‘misses’ category. Richardson was rough on Sunday, tossing a pair of awful interceptions, while missing several other open receivers, for a very deserving 50 percent completion day. The Colts won in spite of Richardson on Sunday as he continues to struggle mightily with his accuracy, despite ample work inside of clean pockets. How will Richardson respond from his first NFL moment with consecutive poor outings?
6. Misses: Late Injuries
Late Injuries: The Colts perhaps had some insult to injury late in Sunday’s first win of the season. In the final few minutes, three Colts defenders left due to injury: CB-Dallis Flower (undisclosed), CB-Kenny Moore II (hip) and DE-Kwity Paye (quad). The severity of the last two bring heightened attention given their significance. It was a quiet afternoon for the Colts on the injury front until you saw the game stopped on 3 separate occasions for these 3 guys. Moore II, particularly, is high upon an indispensable list, but Paye isn’t too much further down that list after already losing Samson Ebukam (torn Achilles).
