With week 4 of the NFL season coming to an end, the Colts are in an interesting spot. They currently have a record of 2 and 2, hovering at .500.The Colt’s first game was a shootout with the Jaguars, ending 31–21. Colts rookie quarterback, Anthony Richardson, significantly exceeded expectations for both how fans and analysts believed he would play. Richardson showed flashes of greatness through running and throwing. When asked about his reaction to Anthony Richarson’s debut, Freshman, Michael Huse, responded, “Richardson did a lot better than expected in his debut; he still has some things to work on.” He had a rushing touchdown and a throwing touchdown to Colts receiver Michael Pitman Jr. The Colts then moved onto week 2, playing the Texans.
Week two against the Texans started off with an electric first half, led by Anthony Richardson. Richardson had two rushing touchdowns and 60 passing yards in the first half but suffered a concussion diving for a touchdown. The electric first half ended 14 to 3, but Richardson had to be benched for Gardner Minshew due to his concussion. Gardner Minshew went on to have a very productive second half for the Colts, throwing for 171 yards and a touchdown. The Colts ended up beating the Texans 31–20.
In week 3, the Colts played the Ravens. Richardson’s concussion prevented him from playing against the Ravens, leading to Gardner Minshew starting. The first half ended with the Colts up 10 to 0, in a pretty boring first half. The second half is when the game started to get interesting. The game was tied 19 to 19, and the fourth quarter ended going into overtime. In overtime, the Ravens started with the ball and were stopped around the 50-yard line, and they kicked a field goal; surprisingly, Tucker missed it. The Colts also drove down the field and kicked a field goal beyond the 50-yard line, and Matt Gay nailed it. Colts kicker Matt Gay became the first kicker to hit four field goals beyond 50 yards in a single game. When asked about Matt Gay’s performance, Freshman, Copper Wade, responded, “It makes sense why the Colts decided to go out and find a good kicker in free agency.”
Week four against the Rams started off with an atrocious first half for the Colts. Richardson was back and looked a little rusty. The Rams led at halftime 23 to 0, and the Rams running back, Kyren Williams, had two rushing touchdowns. The Colts had a bounceback second half; Richardson led the first drive and had a rushing touchdown in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Richardson had a throwing touchdown to Andrew Olgetree and Mo Alie-Cox. The fourth quarter ended 23–23 and went into overtime again. Matthew Staffored led a touchdown drive for the Rams and threw a touchdown to Puka Nacua, ending the game. When asked about his opinion on the game, Junior, Andrew O’Brien, answered, “I think it was a super fun game to watch and gave Colts’ fans a lot of excitement for the future, even though it did not end how we would have liked”.
The entire AFC South now has a record of two and two. The division is anyone’s for the taking. The Texans and their rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, look a lot better than expected, and both he and Richardson are exceeding expectations. The Jaguars are doing worse than expected, close to losing to the Texans and almost losing to the Colts in Richardson’s debut. The Titans have been a wildcard, and both occasionally exceed and worsen expectations. The Colts are up against the Titans this weekend, and the game will be about who might be the new leader of the AFC South.
