As the NFL season approaches and the preseason comes to a close, the Colts have made the decision to have former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones start week 1 over third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson.
This has been a huge topic for this whole offseason, creating a rift between the fans. After making that decision, many Colts fans have been in uproar, disagreeing on line. This decision was made after the Colts vs Packers game that was played on Saturday, where Daniel Jones threw for 7 of 11 on 101 yards during the first half, while Anthony Richardson also had an impressive game with a drive that led to a touchdown.
Though with all the impressive quarterback moments, the Colts went on to lose 23-19 with the Packers overcoming a 13-point deficit. After the game, Coach Shane Steichen said it was “very close” between the two quarterbacks, before making the decision the following Monday.
With the quarterback situation decided, it’s time to look at the team itself over the last three games.
The first game of the pre-season was against the Baltimore Ravens. The first drive with Anthony Richardson as quarterback for the first time since last year looked promising, but just as he started to heat up, his finger got dislocated in the early first quarter, making every Colts fan’s heart skip a beat.
Outside of the injury to Richardson, first-round pick Tyler Warren showed some flashes of high ability with 3 receptions for 40 yards, starting the game off with a 23-yard catch. Riley Leonard’s first game in the NFL showed promise, with 12-24 on 93 yards of throwing, and 34 yards on only 4 carries. The Colts went on to lose 24-16 due to letting penalties take over.
The second game was against the Green Bay Packers, which showed a better developed Colts team despite another loss. This game was the deciding factor for the QB position, which eventually led to Daniel Jones being picked as the one, even though Anthony Richardson had a good showcase.
The final preseason game of the year for the Colts was against the Cincinnati Bengals, where the Colts showed a dominant performance with Riley Leonard as the starting quarterback. Riley Leonard was the star of the game, throwing 15-20 and having 189 yards and 0 interceptions. On top of that, he also threw a 59-yard touchdown to Laquon Treadwell who was acquired during last season’s free agency. The Colts went on to win against the Bengals, in a crushing 41-14 win.
The Colts will play their first game of the regular season against the Miami Dolphins at home. The game will be played on September 7, the weekend following Labor Day. It will be available to watch on CBS, Paramount+ +, and NFL+.
Go Colts.