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    How Colts developed a better game plan for the quarterback

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    EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Another Anthony Richardson showed up for the Colts on Sunday.

    A much more consistent player, able to play within himself, use his otherworldly skills at times, but fire off far more strikes than an NFL audience has seen from him before.

    Richardson deserves the lion’s share of the credit for stepping up and pushing during a two-week benching designed to get his attention and force him to focus more on the details so important to quarterback play in the N.F.L.

    But the Colts’ coaching staff also deserves credit for returning to what made Richardson so intriguing in his brief stints as a rookie, reaping the rewards of a 28-27 comeback victory earned off the back of their 22- year-old quarterback, who completed 20 of 30 passes for a career-best 272 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and produced two touchdowns on the ground.

    For months, it felt like Indianapolis was searching for an offensive identity.

    Colts head coach Shane Steichen may have found one that works, letting Richardson get through the air by keeping the offense on the ground.

    “I wouldn’t say I’m the most prepared or confident, just that I’ve been the most relaxed,” Richardson said. “There was actually no pressure on me. I was just working there, one piece at a time.”

    The first play call of the game signaled a different approach from the Colts.

    Steichen wrote a designed quarterback run, with Richardson swept to the left side first, and though Jets linebacker Quincy Williams behind Michael Pittman Jr. knife to drop Richardson for no gain, the play signaled a willingness to make greater use of Richardson’s mobility.

    Indianapolis at times seemed hesitant to use Richardson too much as a runner in the first half of the season. Richardson averaged 6.8 carries per game in his first six starts despite averaging 5.9 yards per run.

    At the time, Steichen attributed the lack of runs to the defense, which forced Richardson to give up the ball on zone reads and other option plays.

    But the Jets did some of the same on Sunday; the Colts responded by calling more designed quarterback runs, including the game-winning four-yard touchdown.

    “The way we set up the game plan, we had a lot of designed quarterback runs today,” Mo Alie-Cox said. “Even though they didn’t hit, it wasn’t just, ‘Here, sit back and be a passer the whole game.’ (Running back Jonathan Taylor) had a lot of points early. It slowed the game down and let the game come to (Richardson), trying to get in front of the sticks instead of being behind the sticks.

    Richardson makes the Colts much more dangerous in both short-yardage and red zone situations.

    Doyel: Anthony Richardson’s hypothesis just became literal. Fantasy? It is now a reality.

    Joe Flacco, who started in place of Richardson the previous two weeks, limited Steichen’s options due to his lack of mobility. Richardson, on the other hand, scored twice on runs inside the 5-yard line, and converted another third-and-2 by scrambling in the open to find Alie-Cox for a 12-yard completion.

    Richardson ended up carrying 10 times for 32 yards.

    And Steichen complemented his quarterback’s running game by generally sticking to the ground game, even when it wasn’t working. Indianapolis ran it six times on the game-opening, eight-play drive, handed it to Taylor five times, and stuck with the ground-and-pound approach.

    “I think it helps our offense get into a rhythm,” Richardson said. “It allows us to move the ball, and that gives the coaches the opportunity to make decisions that they don’t make when we’re on second down.”

    Facing a strong Jets defensive front behind an offensive line that fielded three rookies, Taylor picked up just 57 yards on 24 carries, never breaking the big run that has become his calling card.

    After Richardson’s heroics in the fourth quarter, several Colts credited the team’s disciplined approach with the way the passing game started late.

    “I just think it lets the defense know we’re committed,” Taylor said. “You’re going to have to keep playing the run, you’re going to have to keep filling these holes, or we’re going to kill you in other ways.”

    New York was clearly focused on stopping Taylor.

    For most of the first half of the season, defenses focused on stopping Richardson, creating holes for Taylor in the running game. When the Colts found themselves in key short-yardage situations, they turned to Richardson twice after Taylor failed to convert at the goal line, and both times Richardson made his way into the end zone.

    Using Richardson’s legs on the goal line isn’t necessarily unusual, but it’s an option Indianapolis didn’t have with Flacco in the lineup.

    “If you have a quarterback who can run, that obviously offsets the running game when you have two guys,” Steichen said.

    Steichen would probably say the Jets’ defense played a role in the way the Colts played.

    New York features one of the best cornerback tandems in the world in Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed, and although Richardson beat the Jets through the air on Sunday, New York’s defense was much better against the pass than it was against the run on Sunday.

    “I think we’re just looking at opponents and stuff, how we can win football games,” Steichen said.

    Indianapolis saw another way to open up New York’s secondary education.

    Under Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets are running a variation on Gus Bradley’s plan, the one that Bradley disciple Robert Saleh built in both San Francisco and New York. The two plans are so similar that Richardson has been picking the brains of Indianapolis defensive players all week, looking for clues as to how the Jets would approach the passing game.

    “I talked to our defense this week because they have pretty much the same plan,” Richardson said. “They just told me how they thought this team would play against me.”

    New York, like the Colts and many NFL defenses, prefers to play its safety over the top to prevent the big play.

    But the Jets, because of the presence of Gardner and Reed, also play more man-to-man than Indianapolis, especially when teams push the pace. Richardson has always been better in man-to-man coverage, and the Colts took advantage of that on Sunday.

    Richardson had four completions of 20 yards or more, but only one, the late 39-yard ball to Alec Pierce on the winning drive, was a traditional go-ball. Indianapolis created many of its big plays by taking advantage of short and intermediate throws against man-to-man coverage.

    Colts news: How Colts WR Alec Pierce took advantage of college teammate Sauce Gardner to win the drive

    “We had a couple shots there, I’ll have to go back and look, but he hit some big ones,” Steichen said. “They were kind of playing coverage on some of the ones we hit. We hit those two crosses to Alec, which were big.”

    For most of the first half of the season, perhaps encouraged by the three blitzes he hit in the opener against Houston, Richardson often chose the deep route over something shorter, firing long whenever a receiver in a one-on-one situation arose. .

    He has the arm to make those throws, and Pierce has become one of the league’s top threats.

    But those throws are inherently low percentage, and sometimes Richardson passed up open receivers on shorter routes to make the deep shot.

    Richardson was much more disciplined on Sunday.

    “I was just focused on my assignment,” Richardson said. “I tried not to put too much pressure or do anything.”

    Indianapolis has played far fewer snaps than its opponent for most of the season, unable to string drives together regardless of whether Richardson or Flacco was the quarterback.

    The Colts were the opposite on Sunday. Richardson completed 20 of 30 passes, and the commitment to the run game led to 34 minutes, 17 seconds of possession.

    Richardson gave himself a chance to get into a rhythm.

    “When you have more plays, there are more targets and more routes are run,” slot receiver Josh Downs said. “You’re more in the flow of the game.”

    The formula will not always work the same way.

    There will be teams with secondary players ripe for the taking, teams that will entice the Colts to send it out a little earlier in the game. Richardson won’t always be able to come into the game with an advantage.

    But for the first time this season, the Colts seemed to have an identity offensively, a plan that they can see through to the end of the game, even if parts of the game plan — like the success of the running game — don’t go their way. I made it this week.

    That should give Richardson a chance to make consistent progress, rather than just producing in fits and starts.

    “You just want to see growth,” Steichen said. “Continued growth, week in week out, from a young player. He showed up today and showed up.”

    Better than Richardson has ever played before.

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