Despite loss, Colts offense shows explosive capability
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Anthony Richardson faked a handoff to Jonathan Taylor and dropped back to pass.
His right foot slipped once he reached the end of his drop back. He regained his footing, took a hop to his left, and reared back to uncork a bomb.
The ball soared through the air and through the sunlight of Lucas Oil Stadium with the roof open. By the time the ball finally returned to earth, it fell right into Alec Pierce’s arms, over 65 yards from the spot that Richardson released the ball.
Touchdown, Colts.
“Even if I would’ve fell and rolled backwards, I probably would’ve gotten up and still tried to throw it to him,” Richardson said. “Just giving my guys a chance, if I just put the ball in a decent spot for him and allow him to have a 50-50 chance, I feel like AP (Alec Pierce) is going to go up there and get it. I got major faith in him doing that.”
Richardson’s 60 yard touchdown pass to Pierce in the first quarter was the first of three 50+ yard passing plays the Colts had.
Despite losing 29-27, their offense proved their ability to produce fireworks.
“That’s the explosiveness that we want to have for getting the ball down the field and we hit some big ones today and we got to continue that moving forward,” Shane Steichen said.
Richardson threw another 50+ yard touchdown, with the other one going to Ashton Dulin. Richardson threw a laser beam into a tight opening for a Dulin catch and run touchdown, in which Dulin had 35 yards after the catch.
“He’s doing all of our dirty work, whether it’s (special) teams or he’s blocking,” Pittman Jr. said about Dulin. “It’s always great to see him get something like that.”
The last 50+ yard passing play was another bomb from Richardson to Pierce. It looked a lot like the first one. Richardson reared back and lofted it down the middle of the field, which Pierce jumped up and snagged 57 yards down the field.
“He’s a real talented player,” Pierce said. “He’s got a long career ahead of him. So, it’s great to see him be able to make those plays.”
“There’s just things that he can do that others can’t,” Pittman Jr. said. “His off-balance throw and he throws it 60 yards downfield. I mean, that’s something that cannot be caught.”
The Colts three biggest plays didn’t go to the Colts typical star players, Jonathan Taylor and Pittman Jr. Taylor and Pittman Jr. combined for just 79 yards, with Taylor finding the end zone once.
“Our offense is more explosive than I think people thought and we got more than just one guy,” Pittman Jr. said.
The Colts will look to find the win column for the first time of the season next week at 1 p.m. against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
Tune in at 11 a.m. on WISH-TV on every Colts Sunday for Countdown to Kickoff with News 8 sports director Anthony Calhoun, former Colt Ken Dilger, Chuck Pagano, and live hits from the stadium.
The postgame show airs right after the game with Anthony Calhoun and former Colt Marlin Jackson.
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