Colts’ QB Carousel Spins in Loss to Ravens

The big question coming into training camp and the preseason for Indianapolis is: who will be the starting quarterback. The competition is between Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, whom the Colts signed this offseason. As for Thursday night, it seems that the former Giant play caller had a slight edge over Richardson. The plan for head coach Shane Steichen and the Colts was for Richardson to start the game and play the first half. Unfortunately for Anthony Richardson, that plan unraveled quickly.
Baltimore received the opening kickoff but were immediately swarmed by the Indianapolis defense. Cooper Rush, the starting quarterback for the Ravens was intercepted early by Colts cornerback Alex Johnson, an undrafted free agent from UCLA. Even with the offensive pass interference Johnson was able to haul in the interception, making a big play to hopefully earn his keeps on the 53-man roster.
This set up Richardson and the Colts right around the fifty-yard line. Richardson was able to complete two passes, one to Adonai Mitchell and one to rookie Tyler Warren. However, he failed to find Ashton Dulin on third-and-seven, forcing the Colts into a field goal attempt. Colts’ kicker Spencer Shrader knocked in the 53-yard field goal to put Indy up 3-0.
The Baltimore offense finally got going doing what they do best, running the ball all over the field. Running back Keaton Mitchell was looking like Derrick Henry in the backfield, recording 53 yards on the drive. The drive was capped off with a 22-yard touchdown run from Mitchell. Keaton Mitchell, who was an undrafted free agent in 2023 suffered a torn ACL in that same year, which led to his lack of playing time in 2024 only recording 15 carries. After showing flashes in the Baltimore offense Mitchell hopes to see touches behind a strong backfield of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.
Anthony Richardson came back on the field hoping to answer after Baltimore took the 7-3 lead. Richardson got blindsided on a sack from Ravens linebacker David Ojabo, forcing Richardson out of the game with another injury.
This time the quarterback dislocated his pinky finger, which will most likely only keep him out of practice for a couple of days. Richardson is a quarterback who many believe is “made of glass” as he has a long list of injuries. Richardson has missed 17 of 32 possible games in his first two NFL seasons and was even considering surgery on his shoulder’s AC joint during training camp. His lack of durability makes this quarterback battle even tougher for head coach Shane Steichen and the Colts.
Enter Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones, who came in earlier than expected gave Indy a few short-yardage completions. He was able to find rookie tight end Tyler Warren multiple times. Warren, the first-round rookie out of Penn State finished with 40 yards and is looking like a real difference-maker. Baltimore’s defense was able to keep up with Jones however, sacking him on a third-and-eight to force Indy into punting. Rookie LaJohntay Wester was the punt returner and absolutely smoked Indianapolis’s special teams, taking the punt 87-yards to the house.
Indianapolis struggled to get into the endzone all game long, slowly moving the ball on short-yardage carries. Certainly, the accuracy from Daniel Jones didn’t help as he finished the night completing 10 passes on 21 attempts for 144 yards. The Ravens had the backups in to compete for playing time and spots on the roster. Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis showed a strong outing breaking up multiple passes and locking down Colts’ receivers.
The Ravens have to hope for a full seventeen games out of Lamar Jackson and the wide receiving corps, as there was absolutely no passing game on Thursday night. Cooper Rush and Devin Leary combined for just five completions, and each threw an interception. The only offense the Ravens could muster was the running game, led by Keaton Mitchell’s big night, totaling 68 yards. Running back Rasheen Ali also got in on the scoring, punching in a 2-yard touchdown run to end the half up 21–9.
Plenty of Work to be Done
The second half didn’t bring much change, as Indianapolis brought in rookie quarterback from Notre Dame Riley Leonard. Known in college for his dual-threat ability, Leonard kept some drives alive with his legs, scrambling for 34 yards under pressure. However, his debut wasn’t without struggles. He completed just 50% of his passes and threw an interception to Baltimore’s Jay Higgins IV.
The only touchdown of the second half came from Colts running back Khalil Herbert, who punched in a one-yard score. Both defenses held their own in the second half, only allowing short-yardage plays and breaking up multiple pass attempts. The final points of the game came on a late fourth-quarter field goal from Ravens kicker Tyler Loop. This closed out a 24–16 victory for Baltimore. The Ravens will head to Dallas for their next preseason game against the Cowboys. As for Indianapolis, they’re hoping Anthony Richardson can recover in time to suit up next Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.