Anthony Richardson Sr., Daniel Jones both have good moments as Colts QB competition continues

If the Indianapolis Colts are truly undecided about their starting quarterback, each candidate gave them something to think about in Saturday’s preseason game.

Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. both had some good moments against the Green Bay Packers. Jones started and had more than 100 passing yards in the first quarter. Richardson came on after that and did something that Jones couldn’t do, which was take the Colts in for a touchdown.

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Richardson got the first start last week. Jones started this week, showing that the Colts feel it’s a true competition. Richardson was always considered the favorite because of his upside and draft pedigree, but Jones has looked fairly good in preseason, and Richardson’s limitations as a passer have not all gone away. Still, if Richardson had any edge in the competition, his performance on Saturday had to help.

Richardson looked comfortable working with the Colts’ backups. He hit Andrew Ogletree downfield for 21 yards, then Ashton Dulin down the sideline on the next play for 18. On a third-and-9, after an offensive penalty, Richardson showed off his running skills. He scrambled up the middle and Packers linebacker Isaiah Simmons had a shot at the tackle. But Richardson shoved him off and kept pushing ahead for nine yards. The Colts know Richardson can run, but it was a reminder of the athleticism that made him the fourth pick of the NFL Draft in 2023.

Richardson’s best play didn’t count. He had a third-and-2, fought through a sack attempt and threw deep to Anthony Gould. Gould made a nice catch for what looked like a 38-yard gain, but it was called back due to an offsides penalty on the offense. On the next play Richardson took a sack and the drive was over.

Richardson had his issues too. He had a very poor throw to an open DJ Giddens out of the backfield that was incomplete, and a pass to the end zone that probably shouldn’t have been made because his intended receiver was well covered, and he sailed it way too high and out of the end zone anyway.

It was far from a perfect performance by Richardson, but Richardson isn’t a perfect quarterback. He did show his playmaking ability and had some nice throws, which will make an impression on the coaches. At halftime he was 6 of 11 for 73 yards and his numbers would have looked much better if the 38-yard pass wasn’t wiped out due to a penalty. A week after his misread led to a huge hit on a sack and a dislocated right pinkie finger, it was a much more positive day for Richardson. He came out after the first half, as Riley Leonard took over at quarterback.

Jones ran the offense well, which shouldn’t be a big surprise. He has plenty of experience. In the first quarter he completed 7-of-10 passes for 101 yards. He had some nice throws, like an easy 22-yard gain to Michael Pittman Jr. on the sideline and an accurate pass that rookie first-round pick Tyler Warren caught in stride for 25 yards.

The Colts scored only three points in Jones’ two drives but he mostly looked good. He hasn’t done anything in the preseason to lose ground in the competition, though he doesn’t have the ceiling that Richardson has. He’d be the safer choice for the Colts to start the season, if the coaching staff is looking for that.

Colts coach Shane Steichen said this week he wanted to have a decision on his Week 1 starter “sooner rather than later” though he didn’t have a timetable for making a decision. He said he didn’t think there was a leader in the race and Saturday’s game would be a big factor in the race. It doesn’t seem like an obvious call, even after Saturday’s game.