It was reported on Monday morning that Anthony Richardson has a Grade 3 AC joint sprain and could miss at least a month if not longer. When the Colts picked Richardson #4 overall, it was inevitable that he would be the franchise quarterback and with his size and lack of injury reports in college, no one would have foreseen that the injury bug would’ve hit Richardson as much as it has so far. In 5 appearances, Richardson has had to leave 3 games and miss 1 game entirely. While the injury pile up is concerning, the season is still within reach to salvage and the Colts are in still in very good hands with their defense and offensive playmakers.

Here are 3 reasons why fans should be hopeful about this season even with Anthony Richardson’s injury:

Gardner Minshew is the Backup QB

In 4 game appearances and 1 start, Gardner Minshew is 3-1 (the one loss coming in relief of Richardson in the final minute against the Jaguars). In those 4 appearances, he is completing 68% of his passes for over 550 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and a QBR of 70.1. It is safe to say that Minshew is the best backup QB in football, but let’s keep in mind that this guy was recently a starting QB in 2019-2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately for Minshew, the lack of talent and support did not warrant him many wins and he eventually got shipped to Philadelphia after high prospect Trevor Lawrence was drafted in 2021.

Minshew certainly has no shortage of talent on his end. He is playing as a game manager but in every positive way to describe a game manager. He does not take unnecessary risks, turn the football over, or try to do things on his own. He sticks to the playbook and runs the best play that benefits the offense. The Colts are not quite where the San Francisco 49ers are but Minshew plays very similar to QB Brock Purdy in the way that he manages the game.

Regardless of how long Anthony Richardson has to remain on the sidelines, there is confidence in Minshew being able to produce at a high level in this offense and win games. Here are his overall stats for 2023 so far:

The Running Game Is Producing In a Big Way

RB Jonathan Taylor received his long desired contract extension which includes 3-years, $42M, and $26.5M guaranteed. Assuming that Taylor can get back to his elite form and stay healthy, the Colts will have two high-powered backs that will be a terror to defenses to handle. RB Zack Moss already has well over 400 yards in 4 games this season which ranks close to the top of all running backs. It should also be noted that Moss has already had two games of 120+ yards on the ground.

If the metrics were that San Francisco’s RB Christian McCaffrey was the standard for backs, Zack Moss would be right there with him and Moss has played in 1 fewer game. There is no question that the Colts got a steal when they traded Nyheim Hines for him back in 2022 and to couple Moss’s abilities with Jonathan Taylor is going to crucial to the success of this team with Minshew taking the helm for a few weeks.

Shane Steichen likes to get creative with his offense and when the running game is rolling and Minshew can utilize play action to get chunk plays, this offense will be hard to stop. They certainly will not wow teams with 30-40 points every game, but they will control the line of scrimmage and limit possessions for opposing teams.

The Defense is Holding Its Own

The defense is the biggest element to the Colts success so far this season. In all 3 of their victories, it has come down to the defense making key stops in key moments to seal the deal. There have been weak moments in the secondary which were exposed by the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Rams, but overall, they have managed to keep offenses in check, create turnovers, and give their offense more opportunities.

The Colts are middle of the pack in major defensive categories, but they make plays when it matters most to help the team win. (I am excluding the miscommunication on the last play against the Rams in which WR Puka Nacua was wide open for a game ending TD). Teams have been able to rack up yardage against them, but they make thing difficult in the Red Zone for teams to score TDs. There are certainly times when it seems like it’s difficult for them to get off the field, but again they make plays and stops when it matters most.

Only a quarter of the way through the season and it feels like so much has already taken place for this franchise. Their franchise quarterback is already piling up injuries, their star running back is contracted for 3 more years, their backup players are instilling confidence, and Shane Steichen is on his way to coach of the year. Already this team is surpassing the expectations coming into the season and we still have a long way to go. If the Colts can continue to play the way they’ve been playing so far, there is a real shot that they can content for a playoff appearance or even a division crown.