Richardson’s previous career high was 223 passing yards, which was set in his NFL debut last year.
Richardson and the Colts’ offense scored on three of their first four possessions to open the game, punctuated by the young quarterback pummeling safety Jalen Mills on his way into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. The Jets, meanwhile, did not pick up a first down until just after the two-minute warning of the first half; they turned that late momentum into a 29-yard catch-and-run touchdown by running back Breece Hall.
While the Colts only averaged 4.3 yards per play in the first half, they were intentional about running the ball – Steichen called 22 runs against 13 Richardson dropbacks. Richardson completed eight of 10 passes for 103 yards in the first half, and the Colts held the ball for 19:26 over the first 30 minutes on Sunday.
The Jets quickly took the lead after halftime when linebacker Jamien Sherwood strip-sacked Richardson deep in Colts territory, with defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw recovering the loose ball. Hall turned the turnover into an 18-yard touchdown run two plays later.
Richardson and the Colts’ offense struck back, though, with Richardson sparking the drive with a 15-yard completion to wide receiver Josh Downs on third and 13. On a third-and-8 a few plays later, Richardson was narrowly able to avoid a sack and flipped a pass out to Downs, who scampered for a gain of 11 and a first down.
