Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
**Note: Mere moments after this article’s publication, the Colts named veteran Joe Flacco as the Week 9 starter.
The Minnesota Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts (4-4) this weekend on Sunday Night Football — and nobody knows who will play quarterback for the road team.
There’s a Big Mystery for Vikings-Colts
Minnesota is fresh off two losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, needing a dub to taper fears of a 2016-like collapse. The Colts, meanwhile, are situated at .500 and have a quarterback controversy, mainly because QB2 Joe Flacco might provide the best chance to win now.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Weeks ago, the Carolina Panthers benched quarterback Bryce Young because he stunk, not patient enough to see his development through until a proper determination point. There’s precedent for benching passers from the 2023 draft class, if that can be believed.
Richardson could be next.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) calls out to his team against the Tennessee Titans during the first half of their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. © Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Why? How? Well, Colts skipper Shane Steichen remained mum on the QB1 topic to start the week. “We’re evaluating everything,” Steichen said Monday when asked about the Week 9 identity of his starting quarterback.
That’s a word-infused path to the bench for Richardson.
Richardson has utterly floundered in 2024, his second season as a pro. He ranks 32nd per EPA+CPOE among all qualifying quarterbacks, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. His counterpart, Mr. Flacco, ranks seventh. Yes — that’s a 7th vs. 32nd variance.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen speaks Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, during a post-game press conference at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Colts defeated the Ravens in overtime, 22-19. © Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK.
There’s also the bizarre matter of Richardson’s conditioning. Mind-bogglingly, he took himself out of Week 8’s loss to the Tennessee Titans for a bit because he was tired. “I was tired. I ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go that next play,” Richardson told reporters after the loss.
That revelation will follow him for the rest of his career.
Steichen said about the fatigue declaration, “We had a conversation about it this morning in the quarterback room, which I’ll keep private. But, obviously, in those situations he knows on those type of deals, you can’t take yourself out and it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.”
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images.
Therefore, the 5-2 Vikings must prepare for two starting quarterbacks because Steichen’s decision could truly go either way. If he wants to win now and preserve his job security, he’d be wise to start Flacco, who totally mesmerized onlookers last year in Cleveland with his late-season performance. On the other hand, benching Richardson a year and a half into his career could be deadly for his long-term trajectory.
Until later this week or perhaps kickoff, it’s an SNF mystery.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow . The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
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