What to watch when Anthony Richardson and the Colts take on the Eagles in preseason

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What to watch when Anthony Richardson and the Colts take on the Eagles in preseason

PHILADELPHIA - The Colts have one preseason game standing between them and Shane Steichen's first official season. But before they get there, they have some evaluating to do.

The Colts will take on the Eagles at 8 p.m. on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia. I'll be there, and this is what I'll have my eye on:

Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will start Thursday's preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Anthony Richardson's progress -- and health

Unlike last week, the Colts will play the No. 4 overall pick in this preseason game. Richardson got a night off against the Bears last Saturday because Steichen saw two joint practices as the equivalent of a game. This week, with just one joint practice and eight total passing attempts in 11-on-11 drills, he feels that Richardson could use some more reps.


Who will surround him is up for question, as Steichen said those decisions are case-by-case, but it sounds like a majority of the starters will play.

Richardson could use an opportunity to work on his passing, both on traditional drop-backs and natural play extensions when going through progressions. His past two days of practice, against the Bears and Eagles, have come under such a steady pass rush that he's attempted just 14 total passes, completing only six of them.


That part, of course, is as much up to his offensive line as anything. And we'll get to them in a moment. But it'll be worth monitoring the type of assignments and leash the coaches give Richardson in this one now that the red no-contact jersey will be off. He could use reps, but too many under instant duress can lead to bad habits and injury risk.

MORE: Insider Nate Atkins has observations after attending the Colts' joint practice with the Eagles


Against the Eagles, Richardson rushed a few throws to receivers moving East-West outside the numbers. That's been a challenging area for him dating back to last season at Florida; it was present in his throwing session at the combine and now into training camp. Improving here will add a singles element of his game to match the home runs he can offer on quarterback keepers and play-action deep passes, where he seems ready to flash.

In the process, he could build a little more chemistry with Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Josh Downs. They've gotten to work with him all summer, but the reps have been fewer and further between lately. With the questions at tight end, these three might need to carry the passing game this season.

Indianapolis Colts All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner came back from a foot injury this week.
Will healing players play?

The Colts were able to get a number of key players back for the joint practice in Philadelphia, including defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (foot), center Ryan Kelly (foot) and tight ends Mo Alie-Cox (ankle) and Drew Ogletree (shoulder). The fact that they were willing to expose them to the physicality of a joint practice indicates good progress, and only Kelly seemed held back in any way.


These players can add to the overall evaluation if they play. The Colts need Kelly in order to stabilize the line and give Richardson the quality drop-back reps he needs. They have a battle to sort out at tight end, where Pharaoh Brown is challenging Alie-Cox's roster spot and the Colts could use a second tight end to trust on the first team next to Kylen Granson with Jelani Woods out.

Buckner doesn't need much work in the preseason, but his presence can open up better opportunities for young players like Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo. It could let defensive coordinator Gus Bradley tinker a bit with a rush package that hasn't come together yet this summer with absences for Buckner and Samsom Ebukam.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver James Washington is in a battle for the team's top outside backup receiver spot.
The backup receiver battle

The Colts don't have too many starting positions up for grabs. It's possible that Nick Cross could make a push at strong safety over Julian Blackmon, but the need for veterans on the back end makes that unlikely. It's also possible, if not likely, that second-round rookie JuJu Brents takes one of the outside starting cornerback jobs from Dallis Flowers or Darrell Baker Jr., but he hasn't been available or made plays at that level just yet.

Josh Downs vs. Isaiah McKenzie in the slot is technically a battle, but with Downs' big summer and Richardson entrenched as the starter, it feels likely that a fellow rookie will be the more foundational piece of the passing game.

Steichen has said that the tight end and wide receiver depth spots are among the more intriguing battles remaining. Tight end is muddied a bit by injuries, whereas the wide receiver battle has been more so changed by them.

Ashton Dulin's ACL tear opens up a spot for the top backup outside receiver spot. And it's a crowded competition. James Washington and Breshad Perriman have both produced as deep threats in this league, and that's the top trait the Colts will look for out of the Z receiver spot manned by Pierce.

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But 26-year-old Juwann Winfree has made a nice push over the past week. He scored against the Bears and made the Colts' most impressive catch in the joint practice with the Eagles to score a touchdown.

And Mike Strachan is still pushing to make the team. The third-year pro had strong moments in 1-on-1 drills and occasional contested catches, which remains his best skill set. He needs to show some better route running and connection with the quarterbacks to become a piece the Colts can rely on as depth.

Whoever wins the job could have a chance at big plays if something were to happen to Pierce or Pittman. Steichen's offense is built around running the quarterback enough to invite one safety into the box and moving the other into the middle of the field, opening up the sidelines outside the numbers for play-action shots. A low-volume role like this could still have big upside if the right player can claim it.

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly returned from a foot injury this week, but it remains to be seen if he'll suit up for the team's preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Can the offense line hold up?

The Colts offensive line was having a resurgent training camp until some injuries set in. The losses of Kelly and Will Fries for joint practices have exposed the depth with members of a second-team line that has struggled consistently. It seems to have fundamentally changed the way Steichen is willing to call plays for his rookie quarterback, now managing the risk on top of the feasibility.

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In Tuesday's joint practice, Kelly rotated at center with Danny Pinter and Carter O'Donnell started in place of Fries. The result was Eagles first-round defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter living in the backfield, making it hard for the Colts to do much of anything beyond hand off to a running back to the perimeter.

Luckily for them, Davis and Carter appear unlikely to play Thursday. Unlucky for them, the red no-contact jersey comes off Richardson then, and the Eagles still boast one of the deepest defensive lines in the game.

Fries likely won't play since he hasn't practiced in a week, but the Colts will need better out of the players who do suit up in this one. It will not only keep Richardson upright but will also make it easier to evaluate the skill position battles.

Will tempers flare?

The headlines around the joint practice this week centered on the fights that broke out. First was a moment where Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett stripped Richardson late and Bernhard Raimann began to shove him, creating a small scrum. Then came the big one, with a Zaire Franklin booming tackle on Kenneth Gainwell that brought Jason Kelce storming in to blindside Franklin and begin a 150-player scrum in the middle of the fields that ultimately ended the practice.

"I thought the OGs would at least look me in the eye before," Franklin said of Kelce after the play. "But it's all good. I'm going to get a chance to look him in the eye on Thursday. We're going to be OK."

The odds of Philadelphia's starters playing in this game do not appear high. The Eagles are a veteran team, fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl, and what can mostly come at this point is injury risk -- especially with the tempers that flared on Tuesday.

But these effects can be residual. Kelce is trying to keep it from being that way this week, expressing regret for his role in the fight.

"It was a cheap shot," Kelce said. "... A certain level of intensity and fisticuffs in practice is OK, but that was not OK. ... Everybody's out here to be accountable. That was unacceptable for me, and I'm trying to be better moving forward."

One key difference between games and practices is the element of fines. Plays like Kelce's could cost money if they come on Thursday, which might naturally diffuse these moments before they begin.