After two games with Joe Flacco as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback, Anthony Richardson returned to the role in Week 11.
In his first game back, Richardson led the Colts to a narrow 28-27 win over the New York Jets.
However, he had a rough outing in Week 12, as Indianapolis suffered a tough 24-6 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Despite struggling as a passer, Richardson did find some success on the ground, rushing 10 times for 61 yards. However, the NFL fined him $22,511 for unnecessary roughness after a run where he lowered his head and initiated contact with Lions safety Brian Branch.
The fine was issued because Richardson led with his helmet, a move the league is cracking down on this season.
The NFL has been increasingly focused on penalizing offensive players for leading with their helmets when colliding with defenders, and Richardson’s fine followed a trend seen with other running backs like Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and Zach Charbonnet, all of whom were fined more heavily at $45,020 for similar infractions.
Richardson’s collision with Branch was a physical one, with the 6’4″, 250-pound quarterback running through the 6’0″, 200-pound safety’s tackle attempt to gain 10 more yards.
While quarterbacks are typically protected from hits, the NFL has been stricter on player safety this season, particularly when it comes to avoiding helmet-first contact.
Richardson had previously been benched in favor of Flacco after the Colts’ Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans, following an incident where Richardson took himself out of the game due to fatigue—a rare occurrence for a quarterback.
At that point, the Colts were 4-4, and Flacco led them through two losses, pushing their record to 4-6.
However, the AFC South was still wide open, and with Richardson back under center, the Colts have improved to 5-7, just two games behind division-leading Houston.
Despite the setback against Detroit, Colts coach Shane Steichen suggested changes might be coming, although it’s unlikely that Richardson will be benched again.
The young quarterback has shown improvement in his preparation since being sidelined and is expected to continue maturing.
The team hopes to see the results of that growth in upcoming games.
While Indianapolis fights to stay competitive, the Lions continue to shine as one of the top teams in the NFL.
After their Thanksgiving Day win against the Chicago Bears, Detroit has extended its win streak to 10 games, sitting at 11-1. They’ll take that streak into a Week 14 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, looking to maintain their dominance in the NFC.
