The Colts' quarterback competition has, two weeks into training camp, already produced some encouraging results.
Sometimes these head-to-head position battles produce a winner by default or a coin flip because neither participant shines – and someone has to start, after all. The opposite has happened so far for the Colts: Both Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. have had several good-or-better days since camp opened on July 23.
While it hasn't all been rosy, both quarterbacks had arguably their best days in the two biggest, most competitive settings of training camp: A lengthy scrimmage under the lights on July 31 at Grand Park, and in Tuesday's joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens. And heading into an even more competitive environment – Thursday night's preseason curtain-lifter against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium – there does not appear to be a clear frontrunner in this competition.
That is, for the Colts, a good thing. Jones and Richardson have neck-and-neck not because they're both struggling to consistently make plays, but because they're each doing plenty of good things in practice.
"You want to see completions, you want to see the offense moving up and down the field," head coach Shane Steichen said last week. "So, both have been doing a really good job."
Richardson will get the first crack at preseason action when he starts and plays about a quarter and a half Thursday night. That's not an indication he's ahead; Jones will have the same setup in Week 2 of the preseason against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 16 at Lucas Oil Stadium. So while Jones will play about half a quarter against the Ravens on Thursday, he'll get his extended opportunity in about a week and a half.
Now for an annual disclaimer: The offense the Colts will run on Thursday will be intentionally bland. This'll be akin to a cup of plain vanilla ice cream – no toppings, no syrups, just about as straightforward as it can get. No team puts anything remotely designer-y on tape in the preseason, when the result of a game does not matter.
Having said that, there's still going to be plenty to track on Thursday.
For Richardson, there are a few things to watch against the Ravens – who, by the way, will not be playing their starters. Can he continue to complete short and intermediate passes with the same improved efficiency he's shown during practice? Can he navigate collapsing pockets to complete passes, now that there's the threat of him actually getting sacked? Can he hit an explosive play or two, either with his arm or legs, while still raising the floor of what he can bring to the Colts' offense?
"I think everything's cleaner right now," Steichen said. "He's playing at a high level. He's making good decisions with the football, taking the completions when needed. So, it's been really good to see."
The Colts are evaluating everything when it comes to Jones and Richardson, from meetings to walkthroughs to practices to scrimmages to joint practices to games. Everything is considered.
But in a tightly-contested competition, it'll be Richardson with the first serve in a game. If training camp has been any indication, expect Jones to return it when he gets his shot next weekend. And, if all continues to go well, the Colts will have a difficult decision – in a good way – on their hands by the time August comes to a close.
