Syndication: The Indianapolis Star

The promise and the peril. That was the story of Anthony Richardson’s Week 2. The promise was on full display in the first five minutes, where Richardson looked more like a nuclear warhead than quarterback under center. The No. 4 overall pick was unstoppable as he rushed for a pair of touchdowns to put the Colts up 14-0 at the 9:13 mark of the opening frame. And when we say “rushed for two touchdowns,” we mean rushed for two touchdowns. This wasn’t diving over the top of the pile or getting pushed into the painted area by his linemen. Richardson did all the work on his 18- and 15-yard scramble scores. That is special.

But then came the peril. After getting his knee banged late in Week 1, this time it was Richardson’s head. In that all-too-familiar, sickening football scene, it bounced off the turf like a basketball. In another all-too-familiar episode, it wasn’t the coaching staff or independent spotter who removed Richardson from the game, but the quarterback himself. Thank goodness the young signal caller had the wherewithal to know something was not right. Otherwise it could have been an Anthony Rizzo-type situation where he spent weeks playing through a head injury no one else could detect.

Richardson’s caution means he should end up missing only a game or two, if any. But the injuries of his first two weeks also mean it will likely now be the Colts who display caution moving forward. Richardson is going to need to be protected more, and is unlikely to be cut loose the way he was in Weeks 1 and 2, at least until he can string together a few healthy performances. Hopefully all involved have learned a few valuable lessons and return with a better mastery of how to deploy Richardson’s truly unique skill-set.

Five Week 2 Storylines

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