Ryan Kelly had a conversation with his QB, the Colts did more than that

After a second-and-goal from the Houston 23-yard line, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson scrambled around until he was tackled by the Texans for no gain in the third quarter on Sunday.

Then something unusual happened. Richardson asked to get out of the game. Was the second-year QB injured? No. But he was “tired.”

“That was a lot of running there that I did,” said Richardson after the match, “and I didn’t think I’d be able to do that next time.”

Joe Flacco took the field, handed off the ball and the Colts kicked a field goal to end the series trailing Houston 20-13 with 2:01 left in the third period. Richardson returned to take the rest of the photos of Indianapolis.

But a rookie NFL quarterback abandoning a game because he’s tired? Former Alabama Completely American Ryan Kellya nine-year veteran and four-year Pro Bowler as a center in Indianapolis, said he had to talk to Richardson about that.

“We had a conversation about it,” Kelly said on Monday, “and I think he knows that’s not the standard he has to live up to and that the rest of the team is holding him to. I’ll leave the conversation we had about that. I’m sure he’ll get some criticism for that, and rightly so. That’s a cool look.

“He also gives everything for his team, and sometimes it’s not always pretty. An offensive silence over the last few weeks, but it is sometimes difficult to get started. I thought we did good things in the match. If anyone ever wonders how hard he plays, I don’t think that’s the case. …

‘He’s young. I’m sure it’s a learning moment for him, and I’ll leave it at that.”

After the game, Colts coach Shane Steichen defended Richardson.

‘He needed a breather’ Steichen said. “It was third and long, so we said we were going to pass the ball.”

But on Wednesday, Steichen announced that Flacco will be Indianapolis’ starting quarterback when the Colts take on the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday at 7:20 PM CST. NBC will televise the game.

And Flacco will not only be the starter for that game, but also “in the future.”

“I think Joe gives us the best chance to win at the moment.” Steichen said on Wednesday. “That said, don’t give up on Anthony by any means. No way. He is a young player with a lot of talent and he will use this time to further develop and grow as a professional. …

“I just look at where we are as a football team. We’re at .500 with a lot of football left, and just feel like Joe gives us the best chance going forward.

Steichen said Richardson’s play in the third quarter on Sunday was not behind the decision.

“He knows he can’t do that in that situation.” Steichen said. “That is part of the growth and development process that we are going through.”

The fourth player picked in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson’s rookie season ended after four games due to a shoulder injury. He also missed two games this season due to injuries.

In his six starts, Richardson has completed 59 of 133 passes for 958 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions and run for 242 yards and one touchdown on 41 carries.

While Richardson’s average gain per completion is by far the best in the NFL at 16.2 yards, he is the only regular quarterback to complete fewer than 59 percent of his passes with a 44.4 percent completion rate, and he has 57 .2 the worst passing efficiency score in the league. , exactly half the rating of leader Lamar Jackson for the Baltimore Ravens.

Kelly said While Richardson’s “physical attributes are off the charts” and his “leadership ability has grown exponentially since last year,” if the quarterback feels the burden of his draft status, he will have to shoulder it.

“Welcome to being the No. 4 pick, man,” Kelly said. “That’s the quarterback life in the NFL. When you’re the starting quarterback for an NFL team, there are certain demands and standards you must meet. You can debate whether that is right or wrong. There are 52 other guys to carry the load, but you can’t win games without a great quarterback. Ultimately, that person must be responsible for their actions, and that is certainly who they are. He’s still young. We can talk about that ad naseum, but he has matured extremely well over the past year. …

“Despite adversity, the child keeps coming back week in and week out and trying to get better. I guess that’s all you can ask of a man like that.’

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Mark Inabinett is a sportscaster for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.