Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown over the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
After three consecutive losses, the Indianapolis Colts (5-6) are officially back in the win column after toppling the New York Jets (3-8) in a come-from-behind victory, 28-27. But this outcome meant so much more than wins and losses.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson was benched three weeks ago for veteran Joe Flacco in an effort to re-center the second-year player and get him to focus more on all the finer details that come with being an NFL quarterback. Richardson's play on the field this season had greatly diminished and grew chaotic, and head coach Shane Steichen felt the breather was necessary.
Richardson responded on Sunday with the best game of his career, engineering a fourth-quarter comeback win for the Colts, who now can feel optimistic about the decision to sit Richardson and what their future could look like if momentum is established.
When all was said and done, Richardson completed a welcomed 66.7% of his passes (new career high) on 20-of-30 passing, accumulating a single-game best 272 yards and a touchdown. He added another 32 yards and a pair of touchdown on the ground.
Both the Colts' offense and defense had stretches of good football but struggled to make it last throughout the game. That led to a tale of two halves and the Colts relinquishing a 13-0 first-half lead.
The Colts' offense controlled the momentum in the first half with a conservative, run-heavy approach, which aided Richardson upon his return. Meanwhile, the defense held the Jets' offense to just three first downs in the first half. However, the Colts' offense sputtered and ran into a bevy of negative plays in the second half as the defense began allowing Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense to move the ball.
The Jets took a two-score deficit and swung it into 14 unanswered points by scoring their final drive of the first half, forcing a Richardson fumble on the opening drive of the second half, and then scoring on Breece Hall's second long touchdown of the day just two plays later. From there, New York controlled much of the second half.
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Steichen and the Colts knew they needed an answer, and that meant going back to the downfield passing attack, which had become unpredictable earlier in the season with Richardson and was seldom used through the first three quarters of Sunday's game. However, if they had a chance at coming back against the Jets, it was going to have to work this time.
The result was two touchdown-scoring drives orchestrated by Richardson. First, an eight-play, 70-yard drive that ended when Richardson found Josh Downs from 10 yards out. The final, go-ahead drive for the Colts also went 70 yards in just six plays and immediately followed the Jets extending their lead once again to five points with 2:41 remaining.
After marching down to the low red zone, Richardson barreled ahead into the led side of the end zone for the decisive touchdown.
Although the Colts' ensuing two-point attempt failed when Jonathan Taylor was stonewalled, the 46 seconds remaining on the clock were not enough for Rodgers and Co. to put any points on the board, giving the Colts their first victory since October 20.
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