Colts’ Fearless Mindset: Anthony Richardson Reveals the Colts’ Bold Strategy Ahead of…
When the Indianapolis Colts scored a touchdown with 12 seconds to go at the end of regulation against the New England Patriots, head coach Shane Steichen was left with a very tough decision: tie things up at 24-24 with a Matt Gay extra point or go for the win by handing the ball to starting quarterback Anthony Richardson.
A tough call? For a then-5-7 team in second place in the AFC South, you bet, but fortune favors the bold, and with a rushing quarterback with athletic gifts unseen in the NFL since Cam Newton was slingin’ it for the Carolina Panthers, Steichian pulled the trigger on a designed run for the win.
How did it feel for Richardson to go from benched earlier in the season to being handed a quite literally win or lose situation with the game on the line a few weeks later? Well, after the game, the Florida product was asked that very question and broke down the team’s mindset heading into the game.
“It was a two-way option on that. I know Shane called that play for a certain reason,” Richardson told reporters. “I was reading the outside guys on it, but once I looked in the middle, I just decided I was going to take it and put it in my hands and try to make a decision right there and try to make it work. We made it happen.”
Made it work, they did; the Patriots were handed the ball with just 12 seconds to play and kicker Joey Slye missing a 68-yard field goal that would have given the team the lead. If it went wrong, Steichen would have looked silly, but because it worked, on a second effort by Richardson no less, he rightfully deserves his flowers.
