Anthony Richardson leads Colts past Jets in return to starting role - ESPN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The sharp suit Anthony Richardson donned for his arrival at MetLife Stadium on Sunday suggested he meant business.

But when the Indianapolis Colts quarterback engineered two fourth-quarter touchdown drives — including the game winner with 46 seconds remaining — to beat the New York Jets and simultaneously justify his reinstatement as the team's starter, Richardson left no doubt he'd come here with a purpose.

Richardson, the No. 4 draft pick in 2023, had perhaps the best day of his young career while leading the Colts to a 28-27 win that kept their postseason hopes alive and reversed a concerning downward trend on offense — not to mention ended a three-game losing streak.

The past two games, during which Richardson was benched and served as a backup to veteran Joe Flacco, were a wake-up call for the young player.

«It kind of just let me relax a little bit,» Richardson said. «It just allowed me to take a step back and just clean up some things that I had to clean up. And that was really my focus, making sure when I did get the opportunity again, making sure I was at the best of my ability and I was doing the right thing for the team.»

Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen said last week he wanted to see Richardson be more focused on the details involved in game preparation.

Richardson's coach and teammates said they had seen a renewed level of concentration from him ahead of Sunday's game, his 11th pro start. He'd been arriving to work earlier in the morning, spending more time meeting with assistant coaches, and taking more ownership of the game plan, they said.

«He was putting in the work,» Steichen said. «He was ready to roll today.»

Results followed. Richardson completed 20 of 30 attempts for a