The Indianapolis Colts entered Thursday night's preseason opener with some important position battles still needing answers. After a 13-13 tie with the New England Patriots, a few of those competitions are beginning to take shape.Fourth-year QB Anthony Richardson Sr. and third-year K Spencer Shrader helped themselves considerably, while the battle for the Colts' WR3 spot remains wide open.Anthony Richardson Takes a Step ForwardAug 13, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen celebrates quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) for making a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectRichardson entered the night needing to make up ground on Riley Leonard in the battle to back up Colts starting QB Daniel Jones, and he delivered a strong performance.Richardson played the entire first half, completing 11-of-14 passes for 145 yards with one interception. He also added 53 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries, finishing with an 80.1 passer rating.It was the classic Richardson experience. There were turnovers, including an interception that went through WR Coleman Owen's hands and a lost fumble, but there was also plenty of production. Richardson consistently moved the offense and helped drive Indianapolis to New England's 1-yard line before Seth McGowan was ruled to have fumbled just short of the goal line on a controversial play that was not reviewed.Leonard struggled to find the same rhythm in the second half, completing 10-of-21 passes for 89 yards with an interception and a 39.6 passer rating.Richardson did benefit from playing with personnel higher on the depth chart, while Leonard worked with more players fighting for roster spots. Even with that context, Richardson clearly had the better night and took a step forward in the competition.Spencer Shrader Makes His MoveAug 13, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts place kicker Spencer Shrader (3) kicks a field goal against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectShrader may have made the biggest move of anyone Thursday.Colts K Blake Grupe missed a 61-yard field goal attempt before halftime, while Shrader went 2-for-2 in the second half. He connected from 46 yards before drilling a 61-yarder with 1:16 remaining to tie the game.Shrader made 13-of-14 field goals before a torn ACL and MCL ended his 2025 season, and Thursday looked much more like the kicker Indianapolis saw before that injury.Grupe had been impressive throughout camp, but Shrader's performance gave the competition a much different feel entering the second preseason game.WR3 Remains Wide OpenAug 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Raylen Sharpe (8) catches the ball during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Colts received few answers at WR3.Nick Westbrook-Ikhine caught his only target for 19 yards, while Raylen Sharpe finished with four receptions for 29 yards. Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell did not record a catch.Nobody exactly separated themselves enough to take control of the job after one preseason game.With Alec Pierce still working his way back from ankle surgery, WR3 remains one of Indianapolis' most important battles to watch over the final two preseason games.Recommended ArticlesAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow