Joe Flacco took over as the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts during NFL Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, as second-year player Anthony Richardson was still recovering from an oblique injury sustained while running against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flacco led the Colts to a 20-17 win, completing 22 of 38 passes for 189 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception. He began the game effectively, guiding the team to a touchdown on the opening drive and later orchestrating the winning drive in the fourth quarter.
In key situations, Flacco’s performance included going 5 of 10 for 70 yards on third downs, achieving three first downs and one touchdown, while also completing 4 of 7 passes for 32 yards in the red zone, which included one touchdown.
Highlights from Flacco’s game include a missed throw to Alec Pierce late in the fourth quarter when the Colts led by three points, and a short pass to Josh Downs on fourth down, which set up a field goal to start the fourth quarter. Flacco’s initial drive was particularly strong, completing 4 of 7 passes for 58 yards, culminating in a 22-yard touchdown to Downs following a crucial third-and-10 conversion to Mo Alie-Cox.
Overall this season, Flacco has appeared in four games, passing for 716 yards on 71 of 108 efforts, with a completion rate of 65.7%. He has thrown seven touchdowns against one interception and has been sacked six times.
The 39-year-old quarterback joined the Colts in the offseason on a one-year contract that incurs a $5 million hit against the salary cap, as reported by Spotrac.
As for Anthony Richardson, through Week 6, he has completed 39 of 77 passes at a rate of 50.6%, throwing for 654 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. He has also been sacked four times and recorded 21 carries for 141 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, with one rushing touchdown. Richardson is in the second year of a four-year rookie contract, which counts $7.725 million against the Colts’ salary cap this season and totals almost $34 million over the full duration.