PlayAction column: Bills praise Joe Flacco amid Colts' confounding use of Anthony Richardson

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The Buffalo Bills defense gets what might be a tougher challenge than expected Sunday with veteran Joe Flacco playing quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in place of benched Anthony Richardson.

Its reminiscent of last season when the Bills faced veteran Tyrod Taylor against the New York Giants instead of inexperienced Daniel Jones, who was injured at the time.

The Colts are banking on the 39-year-old Flacco to bring some stability and on-schedule consistency to an offense that ranks 22nd in the NFL in points and yards.

It didnt work last week against Minnesota, when the Flacco-led Colts were held without an offensive touchdown in a 21-13 loss.

But the Vikings have one of the top defenses in the NFL.

The Bills were throwing plenty of laurels Flaccos way this week.

Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard celebrates an interception against the Houston Texans on Oct.

6.

Bernard says the Bills have to be ready for the Colts run-pass option plays Sunday in Indianapolis.

Hes been around the league for a really long time, played at a high level for a really long time, seen everything, linebacker Terrel Bernard said.

Obviously, a big part of our stuff this week is going to be disguising and trying to not tip our hand early.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen had high praise for his counterpart: Hes an absolute baller.

He throws one of the prettiest balls youll ever see.

I got the chance to spend a little bit of time with him in Tahoe at the (American Century) golf tournament this last year, and hes an awesome guy, too.

The benching of Richardson, the fourth pick in the 2023 draft, stunned most NFL observers.

He struggled in six starts this season, completing just 44.4% of his passes with four touchdowns, seven interceptions and nine fumbles.

Yet the Colts knew they were getting a raw prospect out of the University of Florida when they drafted him.

Richardson had only 13 starts and just 393 pass attempts in college.

He played just four games because of injury as a rookie in 2023.

Counting college and the past two NFL seasons, Richardson still has only 610 pass attempts.

Allen had almost triple Richardsons college pass attempts (908) when he was drafted by the Bills.

Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had 55 starts and 1,438 pass attempts in college.

Chicago rookie Caleb Williams, who played only three years of college, had 888 pass attempts.

It stood to reason Richardson was going to need two full seasons of development to become a functional pocket passer in the NFL.

Not even the harshest critics can say that Josh Allen's awareness and execution, all while protecting the football, has been anything less than mind-blowing this season.

Thus, the benching is a short-sighted decision.

Flacco is 104-84 in the NFL and has 10 playoff wins, including a Super Bowl title in 2012.

Hes 8-17 over the past six seasons.

Will Colts coach Shane Steichen, who made the benching call, get enough rope to survive during Richardsons long learning curve? Its debatable.

Steichen admitted hes focused on the bottom line.

Well get to the future when we have to get to the future, Steichen said.

Were trying to make the playoffs.

Were trying to make a push right now going into November and December and feel that Joe gives us the best chance to do that.

According to multiple media reports, Richardson still was viewed favorably by Colts players, despite the fact he took himself out of the game for a play in a loss to Houston on Oct.

27, citing exhaustion.

Defending RPOs The Colts rank second in the NFL this season in run-pass option plays, at 20.6% of their offensive snaps, according to Sportradar.

The Colts have 63 pass attempts on RPOs for 654 yards, both tops in the league.

RPOs allow the quarterback to either hand off to the running back or throw a quick pass, often a slant or a screen.

The offensive linemen have no idea what the QB will choose.

Theyre blocking like its a run play, so if the QB passes, he must get the ball out of his hands fast, before the linemen are illegally downfield.

The QB is reading a conflict defender, usually a linebacker or a safety.

If that defender bites on the potential handoff, the QB throws.

If he stays back, the QB hands off.

Bills second-level defenders Bernard, Dorian Williams and Taron Johnson will have to be attuned to the Colts RPO game.

For sure, said Bernard.

I think part of it is pre-snap.

Based on your rules and who you are in the coverage, you try not to tip your hand which one youre leaning toward more.

Each defense has a different mechanism for how you want to play it.

But I think the key to that is pre-snap, not tipping your hand so it makes the conflict (the QBs decision) a little bit more difficult, and you can get them into the wrong play sometimes.

"The Bills didnt fall behind in the AFC arms race, thanks to the addition of Cooper.

But Buffalo did not gain any ground on the top two teams they are chasing Kansas City and Baltimore," Mark Gaughan writes.

Some defenses line up their second-level defenders just a tad deeper against heavy RPO teams.

Many teams, like the Bills, put a greater emphasis on using the front six a light box to stop the run part of the RPO.

The good news for Buffalo is the Bills have loads of snaps against RPOs because Miami has been a big RPO team, and Baltimore does it a lot, too.

The 30,000-foot view The Colts have spent cautiously under general manager Chris Ballard.

They have been among the top half of the NFL in cash spending only one of his eight seasons.

The best Colts team of the past decade was the 2020 squad (11-5) with Philip Rivers at quarterback.

They lost in the wild-card round at Buffalo, 27-24, despite outgaining the Bills 472-397.

It took a Superman performance by Allen to eliminate the Colts that day.

Defending the run The Colts surely will be putting an emphasis on getting the run game going vs.

Buffalo.

Star back Jonathan Taylor ranks sixth in the NFL in yards rushing per game, at 83.7.

He has missed three games.

He has had some good showings against quality defenses 105 yards vs.

Houston, 103 yards vs.

Green Bay and 88 yards vs.

Pittsburgh.

Taylor gashed the Bills with 185 rushing yards in a 2021 game in Buffalo.

Taylors rushing total of 2,194 yards at Wisconsin in 2018 still ranks seventh most for a single season in major college history.

Bills left guard David Edwards was Wisconsins right tackle that year.

It was amazing.

I loved blocking for him, Edwards said.

Stud.

...

It felt like every time he touched the ball was electric, house call.

I give him a lot of credit because he really carried the load for us offensively.

He was the engine times two.

We werent beating people through the air.

Stats for the road Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has been playing Cover 3, with a single safety in the middle of the field, more than 50% of snaps this season.

That would be a much higher rate that Allen has been seeing from defenses this season.

...

The Colts rank 10th in advanced analytics (DVOA) vs.

No.

1 wide receivers, according to FTN Fantasy Football.

But theyre No.

24 vs.

No.

2 WRs, No.

27 vs.

No.

3 WRs and No.

26 vs.

tight ends.

...

With 33 completions, Flacco will pass John Elway (4,123) for 12th most in NFL history.

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