Everyone knows that the Anthony Richardson experience will be a thrill ride. If his first touchdown throw of this season didn’t excite you, you might need to check your pulse.
Richardson, the second-year quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, has one of the best arms in the league. And he showed it off in the first quarter of the season opener. Richardson stumbled in the pocket, then off his back foot from his own 32-yard line he threw deep to Alec Pierce. Very deep.
Pierce caught the pass at about the Houston Texans‘ 2-yard line. In the air, that’s about a 66-yard throw, and Richardson didn’t have a chance to get properly set. Officially it was a 60-yard touchdown.
Wow.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be enough for the win. Indianapolis fell to the Houston Texans 29-27, despite a comeback attempt and strong performance from the 22-year-old Colts QB. Richardson threw multiple gorgeous deep throws, including a 54-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and a late 57-yard pass to set up another touchdown and get the Colts within two points.
But it wasn’t all roses with Richardson, who had several mistakes throughout the game, including a bad miss on a fourth-and-1 pass early on. A missed 2-point conversion in the third quarter ended up being the difference in this game. Houston quarterback CJ Stroud had a solid game of his own, throwing for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
In the end, the Texans were able to outlast the Colts. But either way, we’ll still have the highlights.