Anthony Richardson Left Colts vs. Texans Because He Was Tired: 'I Ain't Going to Lie'

Anthony Richardson didn't make up an excuse for coming out of the game on a critical third down in the third quarter of the Indianapolis Colts matchup with the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The quarterback said he checked out after getting winded from a few scrambles on the previous plays.

"Tired, I ain't going to lie," Richardson said after the game, per USA Today's Joel Erickson. "That was a lot of running right there, and I didn't think I was going to go that next play. I needed a break right there."

On the drive mentioned, Richardson ran the ball three consecutive times before leaving the Colts with a third down. He went to the sideline and took a knee as Joe Flacco came in under center.

Head coach Shane Steichen said that even before Richardson came out of the game, he planned to keep the ball on the ground.

"No, he needed a breather," Steichen said, per Erickson. "He'd run it three times in a row, it was third down, we were going to run it there."

The Colts came up just short of knocking off the AFC South-leading Texans on Sunday as Richardson struggled with just 175 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception on 10-of-32 passing.

Part of his struggles—and why he was so winded on Sunday—can be attributed to the Texans' defensive line giving him trouble all game. Houston sacked Richardson five times and forced a pair of fumbles, one of which the Colts didn't recover.

Richardson has shown flashes this season but has been somewhat disappointing with just two games with more than 200 passing yards. The second-year quarterback, who played just four games his rookie year, has 958 passing yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions in six games this season.

The Colts dropped to 4-4 with Sunday's loss and are hoping to bounce back as they look to snap a three-year playoff drought.