Steelers preparing for Colts’ ‘Avatar’ Richardson
He scored a perfect “99” on the NFL’s official statistical arm’s “Athleticism Score” during last year’s combine.
His time in the 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds) would have fit in well at wide receiver or cornerback. His vertical leap (40.5 inches) was among the best of any prospect that year, regardless of position. And his arm strength arguably is already among the top two or three in the league.
No wonder Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Thursday called Anthony Richardson, “an avatar of an athlete.”
Austin and the No. 1-ranked Steelers defense is tasked with stopping the uber-talented Richardson when they play at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
“He’s a big man who is agile,” Austin said. “He’s strong. You’ll see him on some designed quarterback runs, guys will have angle on him and he’ll beat them out to the sideline. He’s unique in that way.
“And then, obviously, when you are talking about him running, he has the ability to — even as he’s moving a little bit off balance — to uncork a bomb. And so that’s always dangerous. So the thing we, obviously, preach with our guys is to make sure they don’t relax at any time versus this guy. He has enough ability to avoid rushes, create some space, and then also get the ball down the field.”
The No. 4 overall draft pick last season, Richardson will be making his eighth career start Sunday. He missed the final 12 games of his rookie season last year because of a shoulder injury.
Still just 22 years old and with only 13 starts at Florida on his college resume when he entered the league, Richardson remains raw. He is last in the NFL in completion percentage (49.3%) and most interceptions thrown (six) and is second-to-last among 31 qualifiers in passer rating (55.9).
But his 253 career rushing yards on a 5.9 per-carry average creates a threat, as does his big-play arm displayed by an average yards per attempt of 8.0 that ranks sixth in the NFL this season. Richardson has the deepest average completion in the league (9.7 yards downfield) and is second in percentage of throws that are 20 or more yards past the line of scrimmage (17.8%).
“Richardson has the arm strength to really highlight that component of his game,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’ve got to keep a lid on it. If you don’t keep a lid on it, you’re going to have major problems playing anyone but particularly a group like this in their venue. You’ve got to make them earn it. Can’t allow yards in chunks.
“I think that challenge is intensified because of Richardson’s mobility and their willingness to use schematics regarding Richardson’s mobility.”
