Projecting Indianapolis Colts’ Best HC/QB Pairing for 2023 & Beyond

The Indianapolis Colts have loads to debate internally for the following three months. The 2 most outstanding points to handle are the pinnacle coach and quarterback for the long run.

With interviews underway by GM Chris Ballard and draft specialists predicting who the Colts will take come draft day, it’s value analyzing what can be the most effective pairing to start out the 2023 season. The reply? 

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Let’s begin with Morris. Morris has a tough head-coaching document for his profession, at the moment sitting at 21-38 — 17-31 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 4-7 (as interim) with the Atlanta Falcons. Nevertheless, context is vital when analyzing this stretch on Morris’ resume. 

Via 2009-2011 with Tampa, Morris was solely 33 years outdated, which, on the time, was an unprecedented age for an NFL head coach. Additionally, his beginning quarterback was Josh Freeman, who fizzled out of the NFL shortly after leaving Tampa. 

Freeman additionally had the most effective yr of his profession in 2010 below Morris, throwing for 25 touchdowns to simply six interceptions. The Bucs practically bought into the postseason, going 10-6. 

It’s truthful to say that Freeman was a backup quarterback at greatest. But, at a younger age for his place, Morris was in a position to maximize Freeman’s effectivity and overcome the QB’s limitations.

Although Morris comes from the defensive aspect of the ball, he has a large number of expertise teaching large receivers and serving to with offensive game-planning, as he did for the Falcons from 2015-19, which helped spark the membership to a Tremendous Bowl berth in 2016. This reveals Morris’ skill to assist a uncooked quarterback prospect develop, regardless of being a defensive man. 

Whereas the entire highest-analyzed quarterbacks are uncooked, in a way, none match that description greater than Richardson. Regardless of this, he additionally has essentially the most upside and potential.

Crimson-shirted as a freshman in 2020, it grew to become obvious that Richardson wasn’t simply one other faculty quarterback. Within the 2021 season, he performed seven video games however put collectively a stat line of 38-of-64 for 529 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 5 interceptions.

Nevertheless, Richardson’s ft did a lot of the speaking that yr, speeding the ball 51 instances for 401 yards (7.9 per carry) and three touchdowns on the bottom. Many criticized his lack of passing, however he started to silence these critics in 2022. 

This previous season, Richardson sky-rocketed to 176-of-327, totaling 2,549 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, with 9 interceptions. He doubled his carries with 103 for 654 yards and 9 speeding touchdowns in 12 video games.

Is there a scarcity of total enjoying time? Certain. Is Richardson about as uncooked as any quarterback prospect has been? Certain. Is there an opportunity he’ll want to sit down for one yr and be taught from a bridge veteran? Certain once more. 

Nevertheless it’s not required in a run-heavy scheme just like the Colts have. Richardson can also be constructed like Deshaun Watson and NFL legend Randall Cunningham, to not point out he has blinding pace together with his ft, which is one thing the Colts haven’t skilled on the place. 

Another nice qualities are Richardson’s arm energy and talent to flee the pocket. Put this uncooked skill to make performs together with an skilled coach like Morris, and you possibly can have a recipe for achievement. Morris, nonetheless, would want a stable offensive coordinator in place for Richardson.

Per Horseshoe Huddle‘s Zach Hicks, Morris is linked with six totally different coordinators, however two are much more more likely to journey with him: a pair of passing sport coordinators in San Francisco’s Bobby Slowik and the Rams’ Zac Robinson (on employees with Morris). 

Seeing how Brock Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo did in San Francisco and Matthew Stafford final yr in L.A., it ought to consolation Colts followers to see these names doubtlessly touring with Morris to assist a younger QB turn into the caliber of the above names (or higher). Combine this with downfield choices like Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., and the tandem of operating backs Jonathan Taylor and Zach Moss, and also you’ve bought an opportunity to develop a quarterback with Richardson’s strengths even faster.

Backside Line

Getting the proper coach to suit with the proper quarterback is important, particularly when each positions are being crammed for a corporation like Indianapolis that has its eyes set on the following 5 years for the primary time shortly.

Will or not it’s Morris to steer the cost with Richardson as his rookie signal-caller? The pairing appears to be like good to me, however on the finish of the day, it’s proprietor Jim Irsay who should log out on each selections. 

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