Colts' Anthony Richardson Laments Pick-6 vs. Bengals: 'That Was a Tough One'

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson would like to have the pass back that turned into a pick-six in Thursday's preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Richardson said "that was a tough one" when discussing the interception on a pass intended for Kylen Granson.

"The interception, man, that was a tough one," Richardson explained. "Communication right there. Granson saw something and I saw something else. We've just got to be on the same page right there."

The play occurred late in the first quarter when Richardson seemed to anticipate Granson was going to move inside on a route, but instead he started to move outside and the ball landed in the waiting arms of Bengals safety Jordan Battle.

The full Richardson experience was on display during his five drives against the Bengals. He went 7-of-8 for 65 yards and a touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell on the Colts' first offensive possession.

Over the next four drives, Richardson went 1-of-6 for 21 yards with one interception. He was also sacked once.

Head coach Shane Steichen didn't seem concerned about Richardson's struggles after the opening drive.

"Look, guys are going to miss throws, you know what I mean?" Steichen said. "Guys are going to miss throws, I don't care if you're a second-year player or a 15-year vet. Guys are going to miss throws. I don't have any concerns with that."

Steichen didn't seem to take advantage of Richardson's full skill set on Thursday night. The second-year quarterback only had one rushing attempt for three yards.

Given the injury issues Richardson had in his rookie season, there's no reason to put him in a position where he might get hurt two weeks before the start of the regular season.

Overall, though, Richardson's preseason performance as a passer has looked a lot like it did in the four games he played last season. The 22-year-old completed 59.5 percent of his attempts for 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception as a rookie.

Richardson finished the preseason 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) for 111 yards with one touchdown and one interception. There were going to be some growing pains along the way because he only attempted 393 passes in three seasons at Florida.

The most important thing for Richardson is staying healthy and getting consistent reps when the real games begin if the Colts want to have a chance at making the playoffs in the AFC.