Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson runs with the ball during a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium.
Anthony Richardson’s appearance in the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason finale Thursday night turned out to be a bit of a roller-coaster.
To open the game, Richardson steered the Colts on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a nine-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell. But disaster struck the next time Indianapolis had the ball.
On a 2nd-and-10 from the Colts’ own 9-yard line, Richardson dropped back to pass and missed his intended receiver Kylen Granson. The football ended up in the arms of Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle, who trotted into the end zone for a pick-six.
“That’s the issue with Anthony Richardson,” analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on the Amazon Video broadcast. “Looks great for a drive, and then you have a play like that, and it’s a pick-six going the other way.”
Kirk Herbstreit on Anthony Richardson after Jordan Battle's pick-six. pic.twitter.com/MpVPF3NIoN
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There appeared to be some sort of a miscommunication between Richardson and Granson during the play. Either Richardson badly misfired on the pass or Granson stopped his route in the wrong spot.
“This is it, really, in a nutshell with what we just talked about,” Herbstreit said. “We just talked about how great he looked opening drive. … Watch the accuracy issues.”
Richardson went back on the field for three more drives. Two of those drives ended up being three-and-outs, and the Colts picked up one first down on his final drive of the night before Rigoberto Sanchez punted it away once again.
