RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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A lack of offensive production through the Colts ’ first two preseason games with backup quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard splitting the snaps, Indianapolis is likely to look at the minute details in the film to help choose a QB2 in the coming weeks .
Without question, Richardson's first half of Aug. 13's game against the Patriots – a 22-yard scramble, several darts for first downs and a late-half drive from the team’s own 8-yard-line to put the Colts in long field goal range in just 24 seconds – make up the bulk of his highlight reel. But his two major misses – one off the hands of a leaping Coleman Owen for an interception – combined with an inexcusable fumble at the end of a 10-yard scramble have offered the full Richardson experience. Together, it paints the picture of a player whose strengths are deserving of his fourth-overall selection more than three years ago, but who ultimately can’t be relied upon to maintain that level over the course of an entire game – or even an entire half.
He also did little to back up the promise of that performance Saturday against the Falcons, while running with the third team in the second half, finishing a meager 3-for-9 passing for 24 yards with three rushes for 15 yards and two sacks.
In his own two halves of work, Leonard – 10-for-21 for 89 yards and a bad interception against the Patriots with the third team and 7-for-14 for 62 yards with the second team Saturday against Atlanta – has done nothing to elevate him in a competition coach Shane Steichen said last week he plans to run through the end of the preseason .
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“It’s about decision making, timing, accuracy, ability to sort of run the offense, run the huddle, communicate well with his teammates,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said of the process of evaluating the two quarterbacks. “Shoot, just leading the team down for points. We’re looking to drive down and score a few more points than we did this previous preseason game."
Saturday, in a game the Colts lost 34-6, Leonard led the team to a pair of first-half field goals, while Richardson’s offense went scoreless. The week prior, Richardson drove the Colts inside the Patriots’ 35-yard-line four times but came away with just seven points while Leonard’s drives contributed six points via a pair of long field goals.
“We’re evaluating every single snap and what went into the play call, the decision, where did the throw go or maybe even the run read,” Cooter continued. “All the decisions those guys make – everything they do – that’s quarterbacking at the NFL level. We’re evaluating it and sort of evaluating how well they do it and also how consistently they do it well, which is really important.”
Both quarterbacks have frequently been forced to be on the move over Indianapolis’ two preseason games in response to shaky offensive line protection. That, combined with a lingering level of inner uncertainty and slow processing, hindered Leonard’s performance in Game 1. The second-year quarterback’s biggest flaw throughout training camp is an inability to recognize and process the play developing in front of him and then making the split-second decision with confidence.
Leonard said Saturday he felt he’d made some significant strides over last week that showed in game tape, even if the raw stats didn’t look better.
“Obviously (Saturday’s performance) not to my standard. A couple throws I want back,” he said postgame. “But I think my overall play, I think I saw it very well. Kind of knew what was going on and where to put the ball.
“I look back, and the times I have a lot of regret is when I don’t know what I’m doing out there. I don’t know who’s where and can’t find them, but a couple missed throws here and there – that’s something I know I can fix. There’s a big difference in this league from ‘not being able to’ and ‘you can; you just don’t execute.’ And I know I can execute at a high level. I feel like I’ve shown that before. Just didn’t happen today, so I’ve just got to find that.”
Richardson characterized his own preseason play rather succinctly: “I think alright. Moving the ball a little bit. Just trying to manage it, go out there and put up some points and put the team in a good position. I think it’s alright so far.”
The difficulty, of course, in evaluating the pair is the imperfect comparison when looking at their on-field teammates for those reps, as well as the opponent – running the second team offense against and second-team defense versus a third-team offense against a third-team defense. Cooter said the coaching staff and front office, ultimately, is looking in those situations for whose pure quarterbacking ability can rise above the chaos of those moving pieces and that imperfect comparison.
“The job is to go out and play well,” the Colts offensive coordinator said. “So we evaluate each player based on what we expect them to do, or what they can do to help their team, and we’ll evaluate the situation they’re put in. Sometimes, something happens quick in the pocket – shoot, that can be with the first offensive line or the third offensive lin. That’s every NFL preseason game.
“You’re going to find issues that quarterbacks have to navigate, and that’s part of football, so we evaluate the situation that they’re in.”
Knowing that then, the battle for Leonard and Richardson is to not try and be a superhero in a preseason game and do more than the situation calls for – or more than what it may allow for, because Steichen, Cooter and general manager Chris Ballard ultimately won’t let a single dart over the middle or a back-shoulder touchdown throw decide an entire depth chart spot battle. Too many times or forcing a square peg into a round hole, though will show a lack of comprehension.
“And I think that’s something that’s pretty difficult, because when you’re in a quarterback competition, the competitor in you just tells you, ‘Hey, let’s win it right now. Let’s mak...
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