Pat McAfee calls it like he sees it
Speaking on the “Pat McAfee Show,” NFL analyst Pat McAfee expressed a belief that benching the quarterback caused a light to go off. This may give the Colts a chance against the red-hot Detroit Lions.
He explained: “It’s like that two-week period there where [Richardson] got benched for Joe Flacco. And even though Joe Flacco didn’t play how we thought Joe Flacco sure was going to play, I think it was a massive moment for the development of Anthony Richardson. Behind closed doors, we’re being told, like night and day here,” he said.
“Now we got like a different operating procedure. And I think if you’re Shane Steichen, you should be pumped. If you’re a Colts fan, you should be pumped.
“And if you’re Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions, I think we should be maybe some scaredy cats up here. The Lions should have a little deeper purr maybe going on this week because you got a mad Colts team that can still get in,” he added.
Of course, benching players can also provide a boost that only works for a short while. However, as proven by quarterbacks such as Blake Bortles, those boosts don’t last forever. Bortles was benched in the leadup to a campaign that saw the Jacksonville Jaguars reach the AFC Championship in 2017. While the fire burned bright for Bortles that season, he threw his last pass in the league in 2019. Still, in 2024 with a young quarterback under center, the lesson has a chance to last longer for the Richardson.
Exploring Colts’ Week 12 playoff chances
This week, it all comes down to two games. The Denver Broncos face a 2-8 Raiders team at 6-5. At 5-6, the Colts face a red-hot Detroit Lions team. If the Broncos Los and the Colts win, the seventh seed could be a coin flip over the next few games.
However, if the Colts lose and Denver wins, Anthony Richardson likely will find himself not only chasing Bo Nix, but also fighting to hold off the Miami Dolphins, who could tie the Colts’ record with a win on Sunday and a loss by the Colts. It is a big moment for the division race and while the schedule doesn’t line up for the Colts, the phrase “any given Sunday” applies here. Will Richardson pull off the upset of the month, if not the season?