4 Ways Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson Can Improve
Analysis 6/14/23
I’ve heard so much about Anthony Richardson that I wanted to see exactly who the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was and how the Indianapolis Colts will develop him.
Richardson is interesting because his physical ability is off the charts. He has tremendous raw talent, and he's got a lightning-fast release. He’s a big guy who can run fast, but to be a good NFL quarterback you have to establish yourself as a passer. That’s where this evaluation will start.
4 Ways Richardson Can Improve
1. Improve Footwork
Richardson's footwork is often bad, but he’s a gifted enough passer he can make off-balance throws that NFL quarterbacks have to make in tough situations. That's the good news, but his footwork can be horrendous. That’s something the Colts coaches can work with him on every day.
Time after time his feet are moving on film. He needs to hitch it and stay balanced instead of moving around. That led to him missing some easy completions.
He also can be stiff-legged when he drops back. Then, his shoulders tip, and the ball takes off on him. He needs to work on keeping his knees bent and establishing a good base. When he does that, he makes good, on-tempo throws. Everything relates to Richardson’s feet in terms of accuracy.
2. Get Lined Up
Richardson tends to close himself off at times. He needs to open up his hips to make throws to the flat or to the right or left. Right is harder because you have to switch your shoulder all the way over. Because his shoulder is over, he’s got to let his hips come through. He’s got to open up a bit more because he misses a lot of throws to the left in the flat and on swing routes.
That is something that’s easily fixed in just a few minutes of practice. This is another area where his footwork fights against him and makes it difficult for him to complete passes.
There are examples of him throwing to his right where he gets his shoulder around quickly and puts the ball on target. There appears to be a different sense of urgency between throwing swing passes to the right and to the left. Richardson appears more comfortable going to the right. That can be fixed by drilling him to the left.
3. Settle Down
Richardson has a tendency to drift in the pocket unnecessarily - and another thing that was obvious on film is he needs to develop consistent pass drops. He has a strong arm - throwing deep balls is a strength, but he gets away with a lot of bad habits other quarterbacks with big arms have. He doesn’t step into his throws enough. Richardson bends his knees and just flips it with his wrist without getting his legs into it.
His release is so dynamic and quick; not many guys can do what he does, and that’s why teams fell in love with him. Richardson is so talented in so many respects, both as a passer and as a runner. He gets to the edge and throws strikes. But there’s a lot to work on, physically.
4. Quicker, Better Decisions
Another problem that pops up is his indecisiveness. He’s often late on throws, and that is a huge problem. The reason he gets hung up is because he’s watching receivers. If he’s facing man coverage that’s fine, but you can’t watch receivers against zone coverage. You have to put your eyes where you’re going to throw it.
A quarterback can’t wait for receivers in the NFL, he has to anticipate throws. That’s the biggest issue with this young man: Can he anticipate throws against zone coverage?
Still, he watches receivers too often. He feels the defender, but he’s watching the receiver when it should be the other way around: watch the hole and hit the receiver. His eyes need to envelop the defender and then as he starts his throw, put his eyes on the receiver.
You can’t track receivers, and that’s a big lesson for him.
Closing Thoughts
Remember, Richardson has thrown one-fourth of the passes in games that No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has. Then, add in all of the seven-on-seven work Young has had that Richardson hasn’t. Those drills develop anticipation.
Richardson was in a situation at Florida where he rarely was in drop-back situations because their offense was heavy on bootlegs and hard play actions. He wasn’t asked to see the defense, anticipate the holes and make throws. That’s why he doesn’t do it well, so that has to be addressed.
Richardson needs a ton of seven-on-seven work and a lot of drill work to help his eyes. Those drills must include processing before the snap, after the snap and during the play.
It won’t be easy to fix his footwork, what he does with his eyes and his anticipation because Richardson is young and lacks experience. So the Colts will have to create an environment and some drills to encourage him to learn how to do those things.
Positioning Richardson for Success
There’s a lot of pressure on Richardson as the No. 4 overall pick, and I hope he doesn’t have to start this year. He needs a chance to get up to speed and not have that pressure to win immediately.
Richardson's read and react skills are one area I'm extra concerned about. The rest of Richardson’s game looks good. Other inconsistencies, like his footwork can be coached up.
If the Colts commit to starting Richardson immediately, he must play a lot in the preseason. They also will need to gear parts of their offense to him, as Florida did. Give him plays he's comfortable with. We used to call them high hoppers. Those are plays that quarterbacks know and can complete.
It’s important to have those when things aren’t going well so you can give him some completions. It’s a safety blanket.
Another concern is the Colts’ offensive line, which allowed 60 sacks — the second most in the NFL last season. When the Colts are deciding whether or not to play Richardson right away, they have to take a hard look at the offensive line and make sure everything is squared away.
Mike Martz is a former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator, most notably for the St. Louis Rams. He was the OC for the Rams’ "Greatest Show on Turf" offense in 1999 when they won Super Bowl XXXIV. As head coach, he led the Rams to two division titles and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI.