On Football analyzes nan biggest topics successful nan NFL from week to week. For much On Football analysis, caput here.
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Anthony Richardson sewage less starts than Bryce Young earlier he was sent to nan bench.
The Indianapolis Colts benched their second-year backmost this week aft his 10th profession start, including six this season.
The Colts (4-4) are turning to 39-year-old Joe Flacco because coach Shane Steichen believes nan seasoned gives nan squad “the champion chance to triumph correct now.”
He’s not wrong.
Flacco, a Super Bowl MVP pinch nan Ravens much than a decade ago, is 2-1 successful 3 appearances pinch nan Colts. He was 4-1 pinch Cleveland past year, helping nan Browns scope nan playoffs.
The 22-year-old Richardson threw conscionable 393 passes successful assemblage astatine Florida earlier nan Colts selected him pinch nan 4th prime wide successful past year’s NFL draft. Richardson has earthy talent but still needs clip to develop. He’s completed only 50.2% of his passes pinch much interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (seven).
He became nan 4th backmost benched this season, joining Young, Gardner Minshew and Justin Fields.
Young was nan No. 1 wide prime successful nan 2023 NFL draft. C.J. Stroud, who was selected 2nd by Houston, is nan only personnel of past year’s backmost people who is thriving. Will Levis, nan 33rd pick, is 4-10 successful his 14 starts for Tennessee and has missed nan past 2 games pinch a enarthrosis injury.
Here are nan teams who’ve made backmost changes and those who might:
PANTHERS: Young was benched conscionable 2 starts into this play by first-year coach Dave Canales. He was 2-14 successful 2023 and has struggled mightily to unrecorded up to expectations aft winning nan Heisman Trophy astatine Alabama.
Young returned to Carolina’s starting lineup past week because of an wounded to Andy Dalton and will stay nan starter. The Panthers are 1-7 and request to find retired if Young has a future.
STEELERS: Fields was playing good erstwhile Steelers coach Mike Tomlin switched to Russell Wilson. He helped Pittsburgh spell 4-2 but Tomlin wanted to spot if Wilson could return nan discourtesy to different level. He has. Wilson has posted a 111.9 passer standing while starring nan Steelers to 2 wins. If he falters astatine immoderate point, Fields will beryllium fresh to spell should Tomlin determine to make different switch.
RAIDERS: Minshew hit retired Aidan O’Connell for nan starting occupation successful training campy but was benched aft 3 starts. He returned erstwhile O’Connell collapsed his thumb. The Raiders 2-6) are 2-4 pinch Minshew and will apt spell backmost to O’Connell erstwhile he’s healthy.
TITANS: Levis is expected to regain nan starting occupation erstwhile he’s cleared to play. Backup Mason Rudolph is 0-2 and nan Titans (1-6) are headed obscurity truthful they request to fig what they person successful Levis.
GIANTS: Daniel Jones hasn’t thrown a touchdown walk successful nan past 3 games and has struggled aft a coagulated four-game agelong from Week 2-5. The Giants (2-6) are competing for a apical 5 prime successful nan draught that would thief them onshore a imaginable franchise QB. Backup Drew Lock isn’t nan semipermanent reply but New York could make a move yet because Jones has a $23 cardinal wounded guarantee into 2025.
BROWNS: An wounded to Deshaun Watson forced nan Browns to commencement Jameis Winston, a move that should’ve been made earlier successful nan season. Coach Kevin Stefanski stuck pinch Watson astir apt because nan squad traded a slew of picks for him and gave him an unprecedented afloat guaranteed $230 million, five-year woody successful 2022. The franchise has a difficult determination to make erstwhile Watson returns from an Achilles wounded adjacent year. Watson is owed $46 cardinal for each of nan adjacent 2 seasons but he’s been a bust.
SAINTS: Derek Carr missed 3 games and nan Saints (2-6) mislaid each of them pinch rookie Spencer Rattler. Carr is expected to return this week and New Orleans is making a move to Jake Haener arsenic nan backup. If nan squad keeps losing, it’s imaginable Rattler could switch Carr to springiness nan coaching unit an opportunity to measure him for nan future.
PATRIOTS: Rookie Drake Maye, nan No. 3 wide pick, sewage his chance to commencement successful Week 6, replacing seasoned Jacoby Brissett. Maye suffered a concussion past week and Brissett came successful and led New England to an upset won complete nan Jets. Once Maye is ready, he’ll play. The Patriots (2-6) request him to beryllium their franchise quarterback.
JETS: Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting benched. The four-time NFL MVP yet showed what he tin do for nan Jets successful nan 2nd half of New York’s 21-10 triumph complete Houston. But if nan Jets (3-6) can’t stack wins and climb backmost into nan playoff race, there’s nary logic for Rodgers to support playing and consequence wounded if he’s readying to play again successful 2025.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl