Dolphins prep to defend Colts' Anthony Richardson
MIAMI GARDENS — The Indianapolis Colts appear primed to bring quarterback Anthony Richardson back from his oblique injury, and for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium , that could present some good or some bad.
First, the good: Richardson's return means the Dolphins don't face veteran backup Joe Flacco, who has been very effective in relief of Richardson this year, as he was when he was inserted for the Cleveland Browns last year and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Flacco is completing 65 percent of passes and has thrown seven touchdowns to one interception. Meanwhile, Richardson, the former Florida Gator and second-year dual-threat quarterback, has completed 50 percent of passes this season while throwing three touchdowns and six interceptions. And who knows if he comes out a bit rusty after he last was seen exiting early on Sept. 29 against the Pittsburgh Steelers?
But Richardson also presents mobility and athleticism that's virtually unheard of among quarterbacks. A freakish athlete at 6 feet 4, 244 pounds, Richardson also has uncanny arm strength to strike way down the field.
In recent history, the Dolphins have had their share of struggles against running quarterbacks . Take Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills or Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens as examples.
"When he pulls the ball down to run, he looks like John Riggins," Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said, likening the passer to the powerful Jets and Washington rusher of the 1970s and 1980s. "He's enormous, he's big, he runs through people, and then he has a hose for an arm. ... So just his skill set, his physical attributes, he is certainly still maturing as a player, but I think his ceiling is incredibly high."
While Miami was not really looking at first-round quarterbacks in Richardson's 2023 draft class, the unicorn from the Gators who was picked fourth by the Colts still stood out to coach Mike McDaniel.
"I was like, 'Wow, I haven't seen that,'" McDaniel said. "Really big, fast and has a cannon. He's a cool player to watch, very confident and a problem for defenses.
"Anytime you have to play team defense to minimize the impact of a player, that speaks to the player. Pass rush has to be connected to coverage, run fits have to be on point and he can do a lot of things if you allow him to."
Every pass play, the Dolphins will essentially have to be prepared to defend two different plays — the one that's drawn up for Richardson to throw from the pocket and the play he can make by escaping the pass rush. And in between, beyond running with the ball himself, he can extend plays to give receivers more time to get open.
"He can spread the field, and he makes you defend 11 people," Miami cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo said. "From a coverage standpoint, I think the first thing you see is just the extension of plays. ... For a guy who's big and can run, he's looking to get the ball out of his hand when he does extend the play."
Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who actually was in the same draft class as Flacco as two of the few remaining NFL players in their upper 30s, has seen all types of quarterbacks in his experience. And he had a rousing endorsement for Richardson.
"Richardson is probably the ultimate athlete and probably, from a pass-rusher standpoint, the biggest challenge we'll have so far this season," Campbell said Monday as Miami got the week of preparation started coming off the bye.
But early in his budding career, Richardson appears to be turnover-prone. Miami can look to capitalize on that.
The Dolphins will do it while continuing to move cornerback Jalen Ramsey around on the defense, which could present confusing looks for a young passer.
"I don't think there's a position on the football field he hasn't played," Weaver said. "You blitz him sometimes like a Sam 'backer. We've put him all over the place. We've blitzed him from the corner position. I'm almost ready to put him at inside 'backer just to try to mess with these offensive guys."
A big reason the Dolphins can afford to use Ramsey as that "ultimate chess piece" that Weaver famously mentioned when he first took the defensive coordinator position in Miami is fellow cornerback Kader Kohou presenting similar levels of flexibility. When Ramsey goes somewhere new, Kohou, mainly a nickel corner, can fill his usual boundary cornerback role.
"Without Kader being able to do what he can do, it doesn't allow Jalen to do what he's done in his career," Araujo said. "Kader is as big a part of that as Jalen. When you move one guy, someone else has to do another job."
The Indianapolis ground game can also be minimized if star running back Jonathan Taylor misses another game with his ailing ankle. The Dolphins have struggled in run defense, and Taylor's absence would shrink the Colts' ability to throw him and Richardson out there together as a quarterback-tailback rushing duo that could be comparable to the Ravens' combination of Jackson and Derrick Henry.
"When I watch (Taylor), he reminds me a little bit of (former Jaguars standout) Fred Taylor, in the sense that he has some patience and vision," Weaver said. "He's a guy that's going to dip in and out of holes — Le'Veon Bell type back — and then still has the speed to get away from guys.
"If he doesn't play, it certainly doesn't hurt us. If he does play, you always want to play against the best, and I consider him one of those."
