The NFL Preseason officially kicks off on Thursday night with three Week 1 games tonight. The Indianapolis Colts visit the Baltimore Ravens at 7:00 p.m. ET with plenty of intrigue in the quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, who are competing for the starting QB job.
Richardson will start at QB for the Colts in NFL Preseason Week 1 tonight on NFL Network, with Jones expected to get his crack at the starting job in Preseason Week 2.
Richardson is projected for 68.5 passing yards and 17.5 rushing yards on PrizePicks in NFL Preseason Week 1 on PrizePicks NFL Preseason game — where you can pick More or Less on Richardson's stats and more preseason projections.
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Anthony Richardson Projections for NFL Preseason Week 1
Richardson is expected to play into the second quarter, when he'll be replaced by Jones midway through. Jones will finish out the second half, according to the team.
Last season, Richardson played in two of Indianapolis’ three preseason contests. The majority of his work came in the final exhibition game, a 27-14 victory at Cincinnati. He threw for 86 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
One thing that stuck out in the two games is Richardson only had two carries for a total of four yards. His rushing projection against the Ravens is listed at 17.5 yards.
His passing projection is set at 68.5 yards, but here’s an interesting number as it relates to Baltimore. In all three preseason games last season, the Ravens allowed each starting quarterback to throw for at least 80 yards.
However, Richardson did not top 172 passing yards in any of his final four starts in the 2024 regular season.
Considering Richardson doesn’t have the job locked up, this is his time to show what he can do from a passing standpoint after his struggles in his first two seasons with the Colts.
Notably, Richardson has been dealing with an aggravation to his AC joint injury, which kept him out during training camp. However, the concern is not high enough to keep him out of an exhibition game.
Three Colts receivers carry receiving yards projections on PrizePicks for NFL Preseason Week 1 — all three of which will be fighting for a roster spot. Find the projections for Colts WRs in Preseason Week 1 below, including D.J. Montgomery, Laquon Treadwell, and Anthony Gould, via the PrizePicks NFL Preseason board.
Colts vs. Ravens: What to Expect in Richardson's Start
Richardson enters his third season at quarterback with the Colts, but is fighting it out with former Giants’ signal-caller Daniel Jones for the starting spot.
Richardson gets the nod as the starter against the Ravens on Thursday night, trying to erase the ugly numbers from his second season, when he through eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games in 2024, while owning a horrific 47.7% completion percentage.
Richardson’s athleticism propelled him to stardom status with the Florida Gators, and he has rushed for 10 touchdowns in two seasons in the NFL.
Jones is seeking a fresh start following six bumpy seasons with the Giants that included a playoff appearance in 2022.
Richardson is expected to play for a quarter and a half before Jones enters the game. Jones will likely start the second preseason game against the Packers with Richardson relieving him, as both will get a shot with the starters to prove they deserve the starting spot.
Make NFL Preseason Picks on PrizePicks
There’s exciting action on Thursday’s NFL slate as the Preseason Week 1 gets started, highlighted by three matchups, including Richardson's start on NFL Network in Colts vs. Ravens. With football underway, now is the time to build your NFL Lineup on PrizePicks.
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