Shane Steichen buried his head in his hands. The frustration was obvious for the Indianapolis Colts coach. Anthony Richardson Sr. had just made a good play in Thursday’s 13-13 preseason tie against the New England Patriots, as he broke free for a 10-yard scramble in the second quarter. But at the end of the run, Richardson lost a fumble.It was the kind of play that could’ve buried Richardson, a player already behind the eight ball as he challenges Riley Leonard for the Colts’ backup QB spot. Richardson, however, bounced back.Here are three players, including Richardson, who saw their stock rise and three who saw their stock fall in the Colts’ first preseason game.Top Plays from Colts @ PatriotsStock risersQB Anthony Richardson Sr.In the absence of starting QB Daniel Jones, who is fully cleared from his torn right Achilles tendon but won’t play in the preseason, Richardson started the first half Thursday. It was the first time he had been QB1 in roughly a year, and early on, Richardson looked in over his head. His first pass was a severe underthrow to wide-open tight end Will Mallory. Four plays later, he was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Kindle Vildor, though that turnover was more on Colts receiver Coleman Owen, who allowed the slightly high pass to slip between his hands and into the lap of Vildor.Then came the fumble, Richardson’s second turnover, and this time around, there was no one else to blame. He should’ve slid or covered up the ball, but he didn’t, and it appeared he was on the brink of unraveling.Until he turned into a completely different player.Richardson went on to lead two scoring drives to finish the first half, highlighted by a touchdown march in which he went 4-of-4 passing for 59 yards. He also had two runs for 8 yards, punctuated by a 1-yard TD plunge.All told, Richardson finished 11-of-14 passing for 145 yards and one interception, plus six carries for 53 yards and one touchdown and one lost fumble. His performance was a lot more good than bad, which had been the opposite throughout most of training camp, and at least kept Leonard (more on him later) from running away with the backup QB job. Richardson’s solid showing could also ignite some outside interest in the 24-year-old, who still hasn’t rescinded his trade request.RB Seth McGowanLet’s start with the obvious: The play on which McGowan fumbled early in the second quarter should’ve been ruled a touchdown. The replay on the TV broadcast appeared to show that McGowan stretched the ball over the goal line for a 1-yard score well before it was slapped out of his hand. It was shocking that the officials didn’t review the play, and it would feel disingenuous to pin that turnover on McGowan.
Colts stock report: Anthony Richardson Sr. outduels Riley Leonard in backup QB battle
Will Richardson's solid start Thursday help boost his trade stock?











