Anthony Richardson Makes Case For QB2 Role, Final Box Score Stats & Highlights from Colts vs. Lions

In his bid to win the Indianapolis Colts' backup quarterback job, Anthony Richardson Sr. orchestrated two first-quarter scoring drives during Indy's preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

The Colts entered Saturday's contest at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as 1.5-point favorites, per DraftKings Sportsbook, and Richardson got the start, as QB1 Daniel Jones did not suit up.

Playing the entire first quarter, Richardson finished with the following stat line:

Player	Comp/Att	Pass Yards	TD/INT	Rush Yards/TD	Sacks
Anthony Richardson (IND)	7/10	80	0/0	1/0	1

Each of Richardson's first two drives at the helm resulted in field goals for the Colts.

Although Richardson was unable to get Indy into the end zone, he made several positive plays, including hooking up with veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen on a 24-yard bullet:

The 24-year-old's final drive of the day ended with a sack and a punt, and Richardson then gave way to Riley Leonard in the second quarter:

While it was far from a perfect outing for Richardson, it represented a significant improvement from his first two preseason games, which saw him go a combined 14-of-23 for 169 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Selected fourth overall by the Colts in the 2023 NFL draft, Richardson has not come anywhere close to living up to the expectations the organization had for him.

However, Richardson is entering a contract year, and if he gets a chance to play at all and impresses, it could lead to him getting a better opportunity elsewhere in 2027.

With Jones coming off a torn Achilles, it is far from guaranteed that he will start all 17 games this season, so the winner of the QB2 competition between Richardson and Leonard could end up being a key performer for the Colts in 2026.

Indianapolis will now cut its roster down to 53 players prior to Sunday's deadline before preparing for its regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13.